Wind economics set to beat gas in Ireland

Switching from gas powered generation to wind power for future supplies will typically save consumers in the Republic of Ireland EUR 10 a year on a typical household electricity bill in the long term, while the extra cost in the first five years amounts to no more than a fraction of a euro cent per kilowatt hour. So concludes a far-reaching study commissioned by the Irish Wind Energy Association based on "realistic" movements in gas and wind prices over the next 15 years. The study looks at the technical and economic potential for wind to meet 23% of Ireland's electricity demand by 2010 and 41% by 2020.