White proposes to make Carlow the first green energy town in Ireland

Cllr White said: ?I believe that Carlow could stand to become the dynamic renewable centre of the South East by joining together with Teagasc, Carlow Institute of Technology and the business interests of Carlow town to develop renewable energy systems from biomass and biofuels.

?This format could allow Carlow to work towards being totally self-sufficient by producing energy from local sources. This would also develop new business enterprise and the town could offer in-coming business interests a very attractive package of reduced energy costs for their businesses."

Cllr White has set a motion before Carlow County Council calling for the energy changes for the town. The motion is now before the strategic policy committee.

Cllr White said: ?Carlow is in a unique position to tap into the extensive land bank that the county has for the production of biomass and biofuels. The county has a skilled work force and with forward planning in tandem with the extensive research facilities at Oak Park, Carlow could reverse the loss of recent jobs and become energy sufficient by switching to local renewable energy.

?The creation of such a policy could dynamically alter the decline in inward investment and see the Business and TechnologyPark come alive with keen new business interests. This innovative idea has already been pioneered in Austria, where the town of Gussing has become the first town in Europe to produce all the heat, electricity and bio-fuel energy it needs from renewable local sources. Carlow has a tremendous opportunity to replicate this success and become the Irish leader in renewable energy systems.?