School to take wind energy row to Europe

By JACQUELINE HOGGE AN Athenry school is preparing to take its long-running campaign to utilise the benefits of the green energy it produces to Europe after being told the Minister for Energy will not discuss the issue. Lisheenkyle NS is one of the few in the country to have its own wind turbine. However, current regulations do not allow the school to claim back credits from the energy generated by the turbine, because it does not fall into either domestic or farming categories. While the energy generated during the school day is used to power the school, it is not sufficient to cover the total electricity bill.[private] The school recently received a Green School Flag for energy conservation despite the fact that thousands of units of energy generated by the turbine located on the school grounds are going to waste. â€Å“We should be the standard bearer for energy-efficient schools in the country,â€Â said school principal Anne Keary. â€Å“But the mystery is that no-one will help to stop the ridiculous anomaly that means we can produce electricity but not store it, save it, swop it or use it.â€Â â€Å“We have a track record of success in Lisheenkyle and we believe that highlighting our case visually and vocally in Europe may be the only recourse we have to wrap up this case once and for all. If that is what it takes, we will do it.â€Â Anne said efforts to secure a meeting with Minister Pat Rabbitte to discuss the issue had failed, which she said makes no sense when the Government is encouraging schools throughout the country to sign up to the Green Schools initiative. â€Å“At this stage, we have it in writing that Minister Rabbitte will not meet with us to discuss the situation,â€Â she said. â€Å“Almost 100 per cent of primary schools in the country have signed up to the Green Schools initiative and yet the Government is shutting its eyes and ears to a simple change in legislation that would allow schools to be de-classified as businesses and be classified in the same way as farmers and domestic users who are entitled to compensation for the unused energy they produce.â€Â [/private]