Wexford joins low carbon zone agency

THREE COUNTIES HAVE come together to create a low-carbon, energy-efficient zone which they say will attract jobs.

Partners from Wexford, Carlow and Kilkenny, taking part in the newly-established 3 Counties Energy Agency (3CEA) say the initiative ‘sets the area apart as a cluster for smart, low-carbon and energy-efficient business’.

Launching 3CEA last week, Marie Donnelly, former Director for Renewables, Research and Innovation, Energy Efficiency with the European Commission, said it creates an important zone in Ireland.

‘It reinforces its sustainable credentials as a location for Irish and international business and is a frontrunner example not just for Ireland but also for Europe,’ she said.

3CEA Manager Paddy Phelan said that while local authorities in the region have been trying to lower their C02 emissions by 2030, individual counties working under the European Union’s Sustainable Energy Action Plans need to step up this effort across transport, agriculture, industry and community.

Everyone in this area, be they a multinational or a homeowner in a semi-detached house, will benefit from the low-carbon, energy-efficient hub for business this creates. It establishes a unique ecosystem across the three counties which will be similar to the environment created by the world-renowned Berlin Energy Agency.

Through the Better Energy Communities (BEC) initiative and other programmes, CKEA has delivered €19.6 million in capital energy investment, creating over 300 jobs across construction, retrofit, technical, engineering and other jobs.

Wexford County Council is currently switching all its street lights to energy-efficient LED bulbs.