Bioenergy Implementation Plan - South-East Regional Authority

1. INTRODUCTION
Energy security and availability is one of the most
important issues of the 21st century, as the supplies
of fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas become
constrained. Furthermore, climate change has
been acknowledged as one of the most important
threats facing future generations and increasing
CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels
has to have been identified as a key cause. In light
of these issues, Governments have begun to take
steps to encourage the production and utilisation of
alternative and renewable energy sources.
In the past decade both the EU and Ireland have become more energy aware. The Irish government recognises that it
is essential for Ireland to reduce its almost total dependence on imported fossil fuels and to increase the contribution
of renewable energy sources to the national energy requirement. Ambitious targets for the penetration of renewable
energy into the energy market have been set, including specific targets for the contribution of bioenergy to the heat,
electricity and transport sectors. The planned level of deployment of renewable energy, including bioenergy, will help
to ensure that Irish energy supply in the future is considerably more diverse, secure and sustainable.
In the past twelve months, the Government has published:
• White Paper: Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland
• National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012
• Bioenergy Action Plan for Ireland.
These key documents have set out the national government’s strategy to encourage diversification of energy supply and
the increased deployment of renewable energy, including bioenergy.
The sustainable development of Ireland’s bioenergy potential and its deployment in the heat, electricity and transport
sectors require a fully coordinated approach at national, regional and local level. In the South-East Region, local
authorities, state agencies within the Region and the private sector will need to work together if the Region is to
contribute proportionally to meeting the national targets.
In light of this challenge, the South-East Regional Authority (SERA) has developed a Bioenergy Implementation Plan
for the South-East Region.
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south-east regional authority
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