So much for renewable energy costing people less money. A report issued by Ireland’s Academy of Engineering warns that renewable energy projects could add €200 million a year to the cost of electricity. This on the heels of an economist calling for a halt to renewable energy projects despite EU mandates.

According to the Irish Times the report states that not only are renewable driving policy but their usage will add more than 3,000 megawatts of electricity on the country’s power grid that it is not designed to handle. In order for the Irish power grid to handle the additional capacity added on by wind mills an extra €1 billion to €2 billion [would need to be expended] to integrate this level of wind power onto the national electricity grid.

In a further blow to renewable energy sources, Irish Times also points out:

“Overall environmental benefits under existing policy are marginal because the emission reductions from renewable are being offset by gas-fired plants that must be run in back-up mode and the increased use of coal,” the academy says.

It claims that the EU policies that led to the current situation are recognised as misjudged and are being superseded by more pragmatic and economically viable policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Germany and Spain if not all of Europe are weaning their way off of green energy projects. Ireland will soon be the latest casualty since the push for renewable energy has blown up in the politicians and policy maker’s faces. They thought they could remake energy policy but found out differently trillions of euros later.