Tuesday, 6 July 2021
Inishowen Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) is the result of a strong collaboration between Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP), Inishowen Co-Op, Donegal County Council, and a diverse range of stakeholders across the community. This all started with a common purpose focus on sustainability and was resourced by the SEAIs Sustainable Energy Communities Programme. Following a journey of conversations, consultations, awareness raising, research and analysis we present to you the Inishowen SEC Energy Master Plan (EMP). We have been working throughout the last year in pulling together this comprehensive plan for Inishowen using a whole community approach.
We believe that never has it been more necessary than today to move to renewable energy, create self-sustaining communities and play our part to address climate change in a meaningful way at a local area level. Just two weeks ago (June 17) the new Climate Action Bill was passed. Ireland and Europe have committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, with a target of 51% reduction in greenhouses by 2030, only 8/9 years away. IDP believes this groundwork will support a just transition for our community, reinvesting and ensuring we leave no one behind.
This is a blueprint – a clear roadmap on the essential steps towards sustainable energy – for residential/non-residential purposes and indeed for production and supply of our own energy needs through solar PV, wind and biomass opportunities. The facts and figures make the case for capital grants to upgrade existing housing and commercial stock as well as opportunities to explore transport sustainability, renewable energy sources, community power models, and to highlight what a community can do to change behaviour and increase the understanding of climate action.
Inishowen has immense potential and ample natural resources, from renewable energy to an enthusiastic population which will lead the charge for sustainable energy use. There are excellent examples of work that has been carried out so far on the peninsula with the focus on tidal/hydro, solar, wind, bio-digestors, bio-diversity, including many more blue and green economy opportunities. The energetic and vibrant community in Inishowen have endless capabilities to transition effectively to a lower carbon and energy efficient community. There is the real opportunity to pilot a green and sustainable development programme here in Inishowen.
The journey has commenced and there is no turning backwards - we are changing how we consume energy with an emphasis on conservation and generation.
