Young people invited to share their electrifying views

Editorial Team

This post was published by the Irish Business Focus editorial team

Young people from across Ireland will give their views on the future of the electricity system during an online Youth Assembly on Wednesday, 21^st April. The Assembly is being hosted by the National Youth Council of Ireland (NYCI) as part of an EirGrid consultation exploring how to redevelop the electricity grid to have more focus on renewables. Ireland has set a target of using 70% renewable energy sources by 2030, and the EirGrid consultation is seeking the public’s views on how best to achieve this.

NYCI’s Youth Assembly is open to all young people and youth workers/ leaders aged 15-25. It will take place on Zoom between 7pm and 9.30pm on Wednesday, 21^st April.

Commenting in advance, Mary Cunningham, CEO of NYCI, said: “People who are young now will be the ones most impacted by decisions made on our future energy structures That is why it is so vital their voices are heard on this topic, and they are given a platform to share their opinions.

“We would like young people across the country, who have an interest in shaping the future of Ireland, to join us online on the 21^st. They will learn about the options that exist as we move towards more renewable electricity production, and how they can contribute to the fight against climate change.”

The Youth Assembly will focus on the following:

Why the EirGrid consultation process is significant for the future;
Examining and prioritising the options for achieving 70% renewables by 2030; and
How engagement contributes to the bigger picture and the fight against climate change;

Mark Foley, EirGrid Group Chief Executive, said: “The grid requires unprecedented change in the next ten years. This transition to clean electricity will affect everyone in Ireland and will sometimes be difficult. Because of this, we are hosting a nationwide consultation to find an agreed approach to reach the 2030 targets.

“As part of this collaboration, we want to specifically engage with and hear the thoughts of young people, as we understand that these decisions will impact their future. We want them to understand, analyse and challenge future plans and outcomes for energy generation in Ireland.”

Young people can register to attend and find out more about how they can have their say by visiting: https://www.youth.ie/eirgridconsultation.