IRISH RESIDENTS’ VIEWS OF ENERGY-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES. ESRI Research Bulletin 2017/05

Bertsch, Valentin and Hyland, Marie and Mahony, Michael (2017) IRISH RESIDENTS’ VIEWS OF ENERGY-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES. ESRI Research Bulletin 2017/05. UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

The European Union (EU) has put in place ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to increase the use of energy from renewable sources. The transformation of the current electricity system will play a significant role in reaching these targets. This is true in all EU member states, but none more so than in Ireland where the goal is to have 40 percent of electricity generation coming from renewable sources by 2020. Reaching this target will require significant investments in renewable generation technologies, with accompanying development of the electricity grid to bring the electricity which is generated in often remote locations, to the homes and businesses where it is needed. Experience has shown that while people generally hold positive opinions of electricity generation from renewable sources, there remains a significant degree of local opposition when it comes to infrastructure siting decisions. Local opposition can lead to project delays, unhappy citizens, and frustrated investors and policy makers. Moreover, delays to infrastructure development may result in missed targets down the line resulting in fines, reputational damage and environmental consequences. So how can we reduce opposition to local infrastructure development? An important first step is to conduct a comprehensive survey of people’s opinions, coupled with a detailed analysis of the drivers thereof.

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