The Case Against Wind Farmson the Connemara Coast.

Erin Gibbons

Public lecture presented in Clifden Library, Co. Galway; Roundstone Community Centre, Co. Galway and Áras Shorcha Ní Ghuairim, NUIG, Carna, Co. Galway, 2012.

Wind resources in Western Europe

Offshore Projects Under Development in Irish Waters

SSE Renewables Lease for 200 turbines on the Arklow Bank Codling Wind Park Lease for 220 turbines on the Codling Bank plus application for a further 200 turbines Oriel Windfarm Consent for 55 turbines East of Dundalk Bay Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta Application for 20 turbines on Skerd Rocks (Connemara Coastline)Dublin Array Application for 145 turbines on the Bray and Kish Banks Crown Estate Leasing Round Under way for a 600 MW

zone off the coast of Northern Ireland

Lough Anna, Shanaheever, Clifden

There is a threat that this popular fishing lake will be dominated by a wind farm.

Strategic PlanningIreland has no strategic plan for use of its seas - potentially our greatest natural resource.

Developer-led projectsThis policy vacuum has enabled developers to claim large stretches of our coastal zone and then apply for foreshore leases for construction of wind farms under outdated legislation, drawn up before industrial development at sea was envisaged.

The proposed Sceirde Offshore Wind Farm development (MS.53/60) will have a massive impact on Galway Bay and the coast of Connemara.

The foreshore lease for this Wind Farm was applied for in January 2009.

Only one public meeting was held by the developer to outline what was proposed during the two month planning phase.

This meeting was held in Carna but no meetings were held in Roundstone or Clifden or Ballyconneely or on the Aran Islands.

The Carna meeting only arose because of pressure brought to bear by members of the local community.

• The Carna meeting took place after the deadline for submissions objecting to the development.

• The deadline was extended by one week but only those who had attended the meeting were permitted to make submissions.

• The Company said that Copies of the Environmental Impact assessment were available in Clifden Garda Station. This was not the case.

• No Decision has been announced.

• When a decision is made there will be no right of appeal.

• The Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has the final say in the granting of the foreshore lease.

This is contrary to natural justice and European law.•A draft offshore renewable energy plan was published by the Government in 2010.

•A final plan is due to be published in December 2012

The impacts of wind farms extensive and can include: •Disturbance of the seabed •Sediment re-suspension •Noise & vibrations •Electromagnetic fields •Temperature increase •Physical presence •Disturbance to marine fauna and flora •Introduction of hard substrate habitats •Hydrography & Geomorphology •Socio-economic and cultural impact•Threats to health

Carnsore, Co. Wexford

Not to mention the visual impact.

Oriel Wind Farm,Dundalk Bay,Co. Louth

Oriel Wind FarmLooking west into Dundalk Bay with the Cooley Mountains on the right

Democratic deficit

• The Foreshore Act 1933 confers authority on the Minister for the Environment to award foreshore leases for construction of Wind Farms in Irish waters at his absolute discretion.

• There is no statutory involvement of local planning authorities.

• There is no public right of appeal to an independent planning appeals board.

Out of Roundstone-around MacDara’s IslandThe size of permitted Wind Farm developments and their proximity to scenic coastlines are out of line with best international practice.

Cost /benefit analysisHas any cost/ benefit analysis been carried out (economic, social, cultural and environmental) of these proposed developments and their required infrastructure on land and sea?

Fishermen have blamed the installation of a wind farm cable at Skegness, Lincolnshire for killing hundreds of tonnes of cockles. The Fisherman's Association said between 800 and 1,200 tonnes of cockles were destroyed. The power company said the fishermen had received £230,000 in compensation and that only 25 tonnes of adult cockles were killed.

From Connemara to Cape Cod- an international problem:

Controversial Wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound, USA.

Note proximity of Nantucket Wind Farm to shipping lanes, ferries, Airport flight path and existing electric cables.

Nantucket Sound

Cumulative impact assessment.Has there been any independent, professional assessment of the cumulative impact of large scale offshore wind farms on the Connemara coast?

Danish Coast, North Sea.

Developer’s profit Foreshore leases in Irish state-owned waters, awarded with no competitive tender, have been sold on to international power companies by the original Irish promoters, netting significant profit for speculators.

Irish people lose outMost Irish people are unaware of the undemocratic nature of the permitting process, the massive scale of development permitted (and proposed).

What will be the cumulative impact of wind farms be on tourism in Connemara?

Tourism at RiskWind Farm developments will change the character and quality of Connemara’s un-spoilt coastal views with unknown impacts on fishing, sea birds, marine wildlife and archaeology.

Fishermen and sailors circumnavigate MacDara’s Island and dip their sails to honour this Patron Saint of Connemara Fishermen. This is an ancient pilgrim route.

St. MacDara’s Day Pilgrimage 16th July

Galway County Development Plan 2009-2015. Appendix 5, Wind energy strategy

‘Wind turbines and wind farms should be sited and designed to ensure that they do not unduly dominate or damage architectural and archaeological structures or

sites.’

In early medieval times limestone slabs were brought to Mac Dara’s Island from the Aran Islands and were carved into Christian Crosses here.

Sailing off Mason Island

EU Policy

Ireland is in contravention of EU Environmental Law on the off shore wind farm issue.

In particular, it is in breach of the consolidated Environmental Impact Assessment Directive by failing to have in place “access to a review procedure of decisions to grant consent which is fair, equitable and not prohibitively expensive”.

Ireland needs to introduce updated integrated maritime policies and marine spatial planning to ensure sustainable development.

Arklow, Co Wicklow

• The development of marine renewable energy, built to a proper scale and properly sited, holds enormous promise for Ireland.

• As other EU countries have shown, such development does not have to come at the expense of nature protection and un-spoilt coastal landscapes.

• Ireland has made major mistakes in land-use planning with regard to over-zoning and developer-led planning.

•Similar mistakes are now being made in relation to the planning and sustainable development of Ireland’s valuable coastal zone.

Clifden

• What public money if any has been devoted to the highly expensive infrastructure, on land and at sea, needed to connect these developer-led projects to the Irish grid (or indeed to a European Super grid as the wind industry is now advocating)?

• Would it not be ironic if Ireland ended up ruining Connemara and its coastline, in order to allow international power companies to export wind energy to other EU countries who have introduced strict protection measures for their own coastal areas?

North Sea coast of Germany

• We need a strategic plan-led policy framework for the development of offshore renewables to replace the current developer- led approach.

• We need Marine Spatial Planning based on an ecosystem approach, to protect the marine environment and heritage and provide greater certainty about where developments should be allowed.

• A 12 nautical mile exclusion zone (22km) is in operation in a number of EU countries for offshore wind farms. The corresponding distance in Ireland is 5km with no restrictions on the scale of developments.

Portugal

• We need Integrated Coastal Zone Management to manage the land /sea divide, promote public participation and ensure local communities have a say in what happens to their coastline.

• Cost/ benefit analysis of offshore renewable energy devices-wind, wave and tidal to establish the best options for Ireland from an economic, environmental and social point of view is an essential requirement.

The present business model which is being pursued in relation to wind farms is a developer-led one that is motivated by greed. It operates without proper planning, or regulation, or accountability and it exists within a weak legislative context that is open to political manipulation.

This is the very approach that destroyed the Irish economy, beggared our countryand lost us our sovereignty.

It is time for responsible action by our political representatives to protect the public interest and to safeguard the public purse.

If Sceirde Off-Shore Wind Farm (20 turbines 140m high) off the coast of Roundstone and Carna gets a lease it will destroy one of the best coastal views in the world.

Amhráin Mhuighnise

This photo appears to deliberately downplay the visual impact of the

turbines from the Gurteen/Dog’s Bay area.

Viking house, Truska, Ballyconneely.

Connemara Golf Course, Ballyconneely.

The wind industry commonly use photographs such as this which are blurry and dull, taken on cloudy days in which the turbines are not in the foreground to show the visual impact

The coast of Inishmore, Aran

View from Inishmore, Aran showing Sceirde Rocks and Slyne Head.

Slyne HeadandChapel Island

Objective IS18, County Galway Wind Energy Strategy, Appendix 5, Galway County Development Plan, 2009-2015.Facilitate wind farm developments in suitable locations, having regard to areas of the county designated for this purpose in the Co. Galway Wind Energy Strategy, government guidelines and the need to protect inter alia, designated heritage sites, designated sensitive rural landscapes, visually vulnerable areas, scenic routes and scenic views’. Sceirde Offshore Wind Farm proposal contravenes this.

The 20 wind turbines (140m over the tide) will tower high behind MacDara’s Island, on an ancient route of sea pilgrimage (still used today )and will be highly visible from the Carna-Roundstone-Ballyconneely Coastal Area.

View from Carna Village. Many Connemara families have up to 40 conditions on their house planning to protect the common good but who is protecting their health and visual amenity from wind turbines?

Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (Dept. of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources 201O).

P.14 (Section 6 ) Offshore Wind in Ireland. Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta, Outer Galway Bay (100.8mw) is due to receive a grid connection along with Oriel Wind Park Dundalk Bay (330mw) and Dublin Array off Bray Head ( 364mw)

P.40 (Section 11) Potential for Offshore Renewable Industry Development.

These three projects are expected to develop up to 2020. There may be further development of additional projects up to 2020. In the period up to 2030 there could be significant development off the west coast.

•A Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan was carried out by the SEAI IN 2010.

•Galway and Mayo Coastline is included in Area 5

•Summary of Cumulative Impacts offshore wind (Area 5):

•Potential cumulative effects across receptors for development of up to 300mw are generally negligible.

•Any development within 15km of the coast is likely to have a substantial effect on seascape. Any potential effects are also likely to be substantial to moderate significance up to 24km from shore.

•The area where water depths are suitable for development of fixed wind structures in this area is very narrow, extending out to a maximum of 15-25km from the coastline.

•Opportunities for offshore wind off the south and west coast Areas (3) (4) and (5) are seriously constrained by water depth, shipping and navigation, seascape, protected sites and other sensitive receptors close to shore.

Strategic Environmental Assessment-Section 8.4.1.P.109 of Draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan.

Wind resource overview - Sceirde 0ffshore Windfarm

Project Status-Consent Application Submitted for 20 turbines (100mw).Expected to be operational in 2015.

Strategic Environmental Assessment Table 10. 18.Summary of Potential Environmental Effects on Recreation and Tourism

Creation of Tourist Attraction (positive effect) wind, wave, tidal.

Strategic Environmental Assessment Table 12.20.Assessment of Area (5) West Coast North.

Cumulative ImpactDevelopment of 3 arrays is possible without direct overlap with existing protected sites.

Ireland signed the North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative in 2010.

It recognises crucial role that offshore wind energy is bound to play in order to meet the EU 20-20 targets.

Denmark has invested heavily in wind production on and offshore.

•They have the highest electricity bills in Europe.

•They export their wind energy at a loss into the German and Norwegian grids.

•Their expensive and highly subsidised efforts have made no dent in their carbon emissions.