Wind energy will slow down the economy and destroy Irish jobs, according to a professor of economics at Sussex University. Richard Tol spoke after Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton announced the Government’s policy statement on growth and employment in the green economy, which claimed 10,000 jobs could be created in the sector. Prof Tol said that expanding the sector will result in more jobs, but it is not as simple as that. “It is obvious that green energy employs people, so if you expand the sector you will need more people,” said Prof Tol. “What this estimate forgets is that we are not using more energy. If you create jobs in one sector of the energy industry, then you will be destroying them in another.”

(Dr. Benny Peiser)