Appetite for power surges

Demand for power in Ireland has risen from 10,000GWh in 1986 to more than 23,000GWh today, Mr Dermot Byrne, general manager, ESB Networks, said yesterday. At a conference of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, Mr Byrne said demand for electricity had risen in the past 15 years by the same amount as it had in the previous 60 years. To meet demand, the ESB was investing £2.1 billion (€2.7 million) in the provision of electricity networks, he said.