Pilot a green energy project to ease pressure on grid in Mayo

A GREEN energy project with a local grid system should be piloted in Mayo.

The county is taking steps to develop a green energy strategy, with councillors concerned that opportunities are being missed due to a lack of national policy.

There is concern too about grid capacity, with an economic and enterprise committee meeting being told that the grid is at 'crisis point'.

Business representative Hugh Rouse said during the summer there had been outages in Ballina as the grid couldn't cope.

He wondered if there were any calls to bring back the higher grid. Plans for a 400kV line have been reduced to 100kV.

Councillor Neil Cruise wondered if they could develop a policy of local grids, saying the county was hamstrung as national renewable energy policies have not been updated.

As a pilot, there should be two renewable projects, paired with major energy consumers, with a simple local grid system, he suggested.

It would also take pressure off the national grid.