A Kerry MEP is calling for urgent and enhanced investment in Ireland’s electricity grid, warning the current system is outdated.
Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly, who is from Kilcummin, made the call following on from the severe impact of Storm Éowyn.
MEP Kelly was recently appointed as lead negotiator on electricity grids for the European People's Party in the European Parliament.
Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly warns that Ireland’s electricity system is outdated and unfit for the challenges of the electrified, digital age.
Storm Éowyn saw over 700,000 homes, farms and businesses without electricity nationwide, with close to 40,000 without power in Kerry at the peak; some customers in Kerry will be without electricity until Saturday.
MEP Sean Kelly says future-proofing the electricity network to protect households and businesses from further extreme weather events must be a priority.
He says while the rapid response from ESB Networks teams in reconnecting so many customers deserves the highest praise, he adds that the scale of the outages show that we urgently need to act and we can’t rely on emergency response alone.
MEP Kelly says Ireland’s electricity system was built for a 20th-century economy and is no longer adequate to meet the demands of a 21st-century society which is increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure and electrification.
The Kilcummin native claims there has been failures to deliver upgrades to the grid over the past two decades.
He says Ireland’s system must be capable of accommodating high volumes of renewable energy and electrification, while also being resilient to the growing threat of extreme weather events caused by climate change.
MEP Sean Kelly feels to address these issues upcoming funding programmes, like the CRU's forthcoming PR6 price review and the new EU Multiannual Financial Framework must be leveraged.
