The Green Party has welcomed the announcement of funding for a feasibility study on the development of an offshore wind power grid to connect Northern Ireland, Ireland and Western Scotland.

Green Party Assembly Member Brian Wilson said: “The benefits of such interconnection are significant in terms of security of supply, flexible trading of electricity and reducing the cost of energy. It’s import that the Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment Arlene Foster supports this study in every way.”

The Irish Republic’s Energy Minister, Green Party T.D Eamonn Ryan along with the Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather MSP made the announcement in Scotland today.

Assembly Member Wilson said: “With our shared location, Northern Ireland and Scotland have a constant and plentiful wind supply.  We must use this to our advantage, which interconnection allows us to do.”

Speaking at the announcement Minister Ryan said: ‘Today’s announcement is part of a wider programme as we are already developing grid connections with Northern Ireland and there are plans for an East West Interconnector to connect Ireland with Northern Wales.   Furthermore, it will help us environmentally, as we near agreement with our European colleagues on trading excess renewable power in order to meet our climate change targets and economically, it will bring benefits to the coastal areas involved. Ireland and Scotland have much in common and it makes sense for us to work together in on such an important project.’