IRELAND GETS 1/3 POWER FROM WIND

Ireland Generated Record Wind Power on Dec. 26, Government Says
Alex Morales, January 5, 2011 (Bloomberg News)

"Irish wind turbines generated power at a record level of 1,228 megawatts on Dec. 26…[according to] electricity grid operator EirGrid.

"Peak production that was enough for almost 800,000 homes was reached at 4:25 p.m. The average generation for the day was about 1,000 megawatts, enough for 650,000 homes..."

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[Energy Minister Eamon Ryan:]“This is proof that even on colder days, wind power can contribute greatly to Ireland’s electricity system…Government policy is to facilitate investment in wind energy, to deliver a low- carbon, sustainable energy future for Ireland.”

"The record generation followed about 400 million euros ($526 million) of private investment in the Irish wind energy industry in 2010…[According to the European Wind Energy Association,] Ireland is on track to meet 36 percent of electricity demand from wind turbines in 2020, the highest proportion in the 27-nation European Union."