Current events: Eamon Ryan was warned back in June of 2020
JUNE 2020:
Newly appointed Environment Minister Eamon Ryan is given a detailed written briefing by his civil servants who recommend a review of the security of Ireland’s electricity and gas supplies.
APRIL, 2021:
Minister Ryan shared ‘early warning reports’ with members of the Cabinet sub-committee on Environment and Climate Action, of which the Taoiseach is a member, according to his spokeswoman.
MAY 2021:
London consulting firm CEPA is appointed to carry out the review of the country’s energy supplies.
JUNE 15, 2021:
EirGrid writes to the energy regulator, the Commissioner for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), saying it wants ‘to draw the Commission’s attention to immediately is the requirement for the delivery of 200 megawatts of emergency additional generation by winter 2021 that would be capable of providing the necessary services to the system’. EirGrid warns of the possibility of blackouts, adding: ‘Deploying this emergency generation to provide the services outlined would mitigate the considerable risk of material load shedding’.
JUNE 16, 2021:
Aoife MacEvilly, chairwoman of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, writes to Eamon Ryan warning there is a ‘real possibility that load shedding may need to be called on to protect the power system this winter 2021/2022’.
JUNE 23, 2021:
Mr Ryan writes back to Ms MacEvilly saying that ‘a likely and substantial risk to security and supply is deeply concerning’. And the Green Party leader warns: ‘I believe it is incumbent on the CRU to consider how such a situation has arisen and how you will ensure it does not occur again in future.’
SEPTEMBER 2021:
The regulator issues a report saying that EirGrid is in the ‘final stages’ of securing 200 megawatts of backup electricity for 2021/2022. It also advises the State agency to secure a further 450 megawatts.
NOVEMBER 2021:
The deal to secure emergency energy supplies falls through. EirGrid now has to start the procurement process all over again.
AUGUST 9-10, 2022:
EirGrid issues amber alerts on two successive days amid fears of power outages. It blames low winds, limited electricity imports, and lack of supply from old, fossil fuel power stations.
AUGUST 14, 2022:
The Irish Mail on Sunday reveals that EirGrid failed to buy back-up emergency supplies despite being ordered to do so by the regulator. In a statement to the MoS, EirGrid confirms contracts for emergency supplies have still not been awarded.
AUGUST 22, 2022:
Taoiseach Micheál Martin complains that ‘people would have perhaps expected an earlier warning system in relation to some of this that’s materialising. It’s a good idea to do that – that’s important’. He appoints a retired former senior civil servant to review why there was not an early warning system about power supplies.
AUGUST 24, 2022:
In an interview on RTÉ’s News at One, Mr Ryan insists ‘we will be able to keep the lights on’ and says the country will have at least 650 megawatts of additional power coming on stream in the next 18 months. But he admits the emergency power will not be
available for the coming winter.
AUGUST 26, 2022:
The CRU confirms that householders will be hit with a €45 surcharge on their electricity bills to cover the cost of securing back-up supplies.