Seán Kelly: North Seas Are Europe's Path to Energy Independence
Seán Kelly, MEP, warns that Europe is failing to seize the renewable potential of the North Seas, putting energy independence at risk. In this address he urges the grid package to prioritise the Irish and Celtic Seas to stabilise prices and secure long-term supply.
Main message: North Seas potential and urgency
Seán Kelly sets out why the North Seas, including the Irish and Celtic Seas, contain enough renewable resources to power the whole of Europe. He argues that unlocking this capacity must be the number one focus of the ongoing work on the grid package to achieve true energy independence.
Barriers to rollout
Kelly highlights the continued commitments from North Sea countries but warns that insufficient progress has been made. Planning systems and permitting delays, combined with major supply chain bottlenecks, are slowing developers and preventing projects from reaching the grid.
What needs to change
The address calls for 'giant up-thinking' across planning and permitting, industrial policy, grid development, and support schemes. Kelly urges negotiators and policymakers to design market arrangements and large-scale support that match the scale of the challenge.
Consequences of inaction
Kelly warns that failure to develop the North Seas' potential will condemn another generation of Europeans to high and uncontrollable electricity prices. His appeal frames the grid package as the decisive moment to turn Europe's renewable promise into tangible energy security.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
The volatile global energy market is once again wreaking havoc on European wholesale electricity prices and consumer bills. I welcome the continued commitments by the North Sea countries to realise the enormous potential of our renewable resources in north-western Europe. The North Seas, including the Irish and Celtic Seas, have enough resources to power the whole of Europe, and I think delivering on this potential needs to be our number one focus in the ongoing work on the grid package. The North Seas are, in reality, our only realistic pathway to true energy independence. But not enough progress has been made. Planning systems continue to delay roll-out, and this compounds the major supply chain bottlenecks that our project developers experience. We need giant up-thinking across planning and permitting, industrial policy, grid development, and things like giant support schemes and market arrangements. Failure to develop the North Seas' potential will condemn another generation of Europeans to high and uncontrollable electricity prices. Ní Péadar, cor suas le sin.
_thumb_selected.png)
_thumb_selected.png)
