A Mayo View: Spiralling energy prices and how they're changing our lives
Energy poverty has been one of the buzz phrases of recent years due to the spiralling cost of fuel and electricity in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
And because Ireland imports 70% of its energy, 12% above the EU national average, the situation is going to get worse before, and if, it gets better.
The imminent introduction of the carbon border adjustment mechanism, known as CBAM, will further affect the prices that households, consumers and families are paying.
However, this suggestion is not accepted by the government, which is insisting, rightly or wrongly, that energy emissions will fall by up to 68% between 2026 and 2030.
The jury, as they say, is out on that one.
When questioned in Dáil Éireann about the matter, Mayo Minister of State Alan Dillon stated CBAM is still in a transitional phase and government officials are working very closely with the European Commission on adopting a simplification package to clarify how carbon prices will be aligned.
Until the mechanism is implemented and finalised, any cost estimates would be speculative and misleading, he pointed out.
While this debate continues to rage in political circles - and particularly so when it was revealed that data centres will face lower power charges than houses - a sum of over €18.6 billion is being invested to reinforce the nation's grid through a number of capital projects.
Over 500 capital projects will be delivered right across the country in connecting over 300,000 plus new homes the government is committed to building up to 2030, as well as continuing to support enterprise and industry.
This includes a plan by EirGrid PLC, with the consent and approval of the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), to uprate the existing 110 kV overhead line between Dalton in Claremorris to Cashla in Galway.
This investment was granted planning permission by Mayo County Council shortly before Christmas and will, in time, see works being carried out in communities across south Mayo including Dalgan Demesne, Gorteens, Seefin, Brookhill, Carrowmore, Ballycusheen, Scardaun West, Lisduff and Crossboyne.
It is 57.7 km in length and currently has a total of 271 supporting structures.
EirGrid will also be very active in north and east Mayo in the coming years with work on its new power infrastructure running from Ballina to Ballaghaderreen set to start soon.
While projects of this nature are welcome, they will inevitably lead to higher costs to the consumer down the line.
However, one can expect an escalation of activity in increasing renewable energy production from wind, wave, tide, biomass, biofuel, biogas, solar power, tidal, hydro and geothermal sources in the county at strategic locations to feed into the grid in order to reduce the carbon footprint as much as possible.
At the moment, this is not happening to sufficient levels because the grid does not have the capacity to accept it.
To date, Mayo has not seen too many planning applications for solar power farms.
This is a feature that will change over the coming years as the transition to renewal energy is stepped up.
And the reality is that communities will have to accept them if there is an expectation of affordable power prices into the future.
The days of the NIMBY (not in my back yard) objections may be forced to come to an end, although one could never be quite sure.