Why Wind?

It's clean.
Wind power does not produce dangerous waste, nor does it contribute to global warming.

It's abundant and reliable.
Ireland is one fo the windiest countries in Europe and this resource is much greater in the colder months of the year, when energy demand is at its highest. Wind power, combined with a full range of renewable energy technologies, such as wave and solar, could meet all of all electricity needs. Technology is being developed to store wind power as hydrogen, which can then be used to power fuel calls in power stations and in vehicles.

It's affordable.
The first offshore wind turbines in Ireland are producing power more cheaply than the newest nuclear power station. The UK Government's figures show that all wind power will be cheaper than nuclear power by 2020.

It works.
Denmark already gets 20% of its electricity from wind power.

It creates jobs.
The wind could bring thousands of new jobs to Ireland, many of them using offshore engineering skills used by the declining oil and gas industries.

It's popular.
Wind energy is one of the most popular energy technologies. Opinion surveys regularly show that just over eight out of ten people are in favour of wind energy, and less than one in ten (5%) against it.

It's popular with farmers.
Their land can continue to be used for growing crops or grazing livestovk. Sheep, cows and horses are not disturbed by wind turbines.

Energy pay back.
The average wind farm will pay back the energy used in its manufacture within three to five months. This compares favourable with coal power stations, which take about six months.

One of the safest energy technologies.
No member of the public has ever been injured by wind energy, or wind turbines anywhere in the world, despite the fact that there are now over 68,000 operational wind turbines world-wide.

Tourism.
Wind farms attract tourists. The UK's first commercial wind farm received 350,000 visitors in its first ten years of operation.

Community funding.
Wind farm developers usually contribute financially to the local community in which the wind farm is being built.