Southern Star January 10
WITH all the emphasis on renewable energy of
recent years, nuclear power slipped down the
agenda here, but it has now been put firmly
back on it by Minister for Communications,
Energy and Natural Resources Alex White, who wants to
generate a debate about trying to eliminate our dependence
on imported fossil-fuelled energy. Back in the 1970s
when the possibility of building a nuclear power station at
Carnsore, Co Wexford, was mooted, people power through
all manner of protests saw that the idea was shelved.
Subsequently, renewable sources of energy, such as
wind power, were seen as the answer to sustainability, but
many scenic rural communities have had their fill of giant
wind turbines blighting the landscape. At best, they only
seem to be capable of augmenting, as opposed to entirely
replacing, energy produced by the finite resources of fossils
fuels such as oil and coal, hence the necessity for a
new energy policy to meet increasing demands over the
coming years.
The first time around, the nuclear option proved very
emotive and was dismissed out of hand, however we need
a mature and pragmatic debate on the pros and cons of nuclear
power generation in the current circumstances what
with ‘feelers’ already being put out about the replacement
of the coal-burning Moneypoint power station in Co Clare,
which is expected to close in 2025, with such a utility. Due
to ongoing volatility in oil-producing regions such as Russia
and the Middle East, we need to look for alternative
sources of energy and it is only right that the issue should
be comprehensively debated.
