This article is from page 16 of the 2008-04-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
JUNIOR minister Tony Killeen has OED AoxO MO OToM(O)0 GOs DITMUDNLOlorU RAN. ConmEN the mid-west to promote the use of renewable energy technologies.
Speaking following his visit to the annual Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) Energy Show, Minister Kil- leen said that the region had played a leading role in the growth of the country’s thriving sustainable energy orca
“Householders, business owners and local authorities across the mid- west have, in many respects, set an example for other regions to follow in relation to embracing the potential of renewable energy technologies,” he said.
“All we need do is look at the work of the Limerick Clare Energy Agency and the Tipperary Energy Agency, which are supported by the mid-west’s local authorities, to real- ise how important it is for the region to embrace the potential of renew- able energy.
“Renewable Energy Skills Skill- net has also played a pivotal role by upskilling and certifying renewable
energy installers, which has boosted consumer confidence in the standard of installations being provided,” he Sr BKOE
“The Energy Show is by now well established as Ireland’s biggest an- nual showcase for the sustainable energy sector.
‘Anyone who walks around the ex- hibition hall will get a sense of the enormous growth and vibrancy in the sector.”
The minister said that the mid-west would again highlight the region’s considerable role in promoting sus- tainable energy when the County Clare Wood Energy Project hosts a national seminar and open day next Neto
He pointed towards a recent Gov- ernment study showing that it was feasible for Ireland to generate 42 per cent of its electricity supply from renewable resources by 2020.
‘Meeting the wider target of achiev- ing 16 per cent of our overall energy needs from renewable energy sourc- es will require significant investment from both the Government and the private sector,’ concluded Minister OU one