"Green" policies are destroying this country

I'm a bit out of date - what is the wattage on GPUs these days? 😆

It is coming to this stage this winter (if you will be able to afford it)

That must be a near top of the line card, because my son's is 360w.

Enjoy the hols!

Looks like the retrofitting scheme is not very successful as expected. Just 637 one stop shop applications are in progress with just 1,270 assessments in the pipeline. Only 231 houses brought to B2 standard this year though the warmer homes scheme for welfare families so far. Shockingly low numbers. Of 11,254 applications under the Warmer Homes scheme, the vast majority - almost 7,000 - have not yet begun. We're supposed to have 500,000 B2 retrofits since by 2030. 😂

The fact that most of these upgrades remain out of financial reach for people who don't qualify for free retrofitting is mentioned. An unmitigated disaster all round really.

Quick question- are the ESB allowed build new generating stations (renewable or conventional) in Ireland, or does it have to be a private company or a mixture of both?

Im thinking competition laws here - which was the reason ESB was broke up in the first place.

https://graphics.reuters.com/UKRAINE-CRISIS/EUROPE-GAS/zdvxozxzopx/

Gas storage in the EU.

I was wondering why we weren't on the list. Apparently it's because we have no gas storage whatsoever, everything is kept on demand.

What the fcuk is wrong with this country?

Where should I start? better not...

This is becoming pure comedy central. Look at shining example of european green energy which is going to waste $5.9 billion. God knows what "carbon footprint" will that have. "Thermal recycling" - cue in most of the eu going for what used to be waste incineration before greens come to the picture. What a beautiful name thermal recycling...

Yeah, F the homeless

Nuclear Giant Westinghouse Acquired by Renewable Power Company and Uranium Fuel Supplier ...

No gas storage but we do have 90 days oil storage……..but that’s held offshore on whiddy island and we’ve no pipeline connected from there to the rest of Ireland and no fleet of barges to move it 😂

On the 'what is wrong with this Country?' question, might I direct you to the saga surrounding the Corrib gas on-shore refinery, the Poolbeg incinerator and the ongoing shytshow surrounding the same facility in Ringsaskiddy, to name but a few.

We supposedly have legislation to expedite Strategic Infrastructure in this State, namely the 7th Schedule of the Planning and Development Acts, as amended. However this is largely bullshyt because the Courts consider far too many appeals, which are only supposed to be on procedural matters, not matters of Planning, but the evidence is to the contrary.

This isn't helped of course, by the mysterious decision making and general mess that is An Bord Pleanála who deal with these applications in the first place, and who never deal with them within the prescribed period either, which to be fair, is as much a matter of resourcing for which blame can be laid at successive Government's doors.

In my opinion, the only way we can catch up quickly enough, is to mirror the provisions of the Defence Acts, where the Minister for Defence can enable a defence base/installation, without any recourse to Planning law, so long as it doesn't exceed certain tolerances.

We need such laws for the State when it comes to energy, waste and water infrastructure too, within a quantum certain tolerances and engineering standards.

Ryan's own department deals with "planning" for hydrocarbon exploration and development. There are two projects (Inishkea and Barryroe) looking for permits under existing licenses and Ryan has sat on them for a combined two years without making a decision. It could be a resourcing issue in the department, or it could be that he just hopes the companies involved will go away and die if he drags his feet long enough. Probably the latter as he has shut down the Petroleum Affairs Division of the department. Previously he took 14 months just to sign off on a 48-hour seabed survey. Unforgivable at a time when Europe is starved of energy, and private companies -- whom the government had previously courted -- are willing to stump up the cash for development.