EirGrid
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| EirGrid plc | |
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| Type | Public limited company - 100% of issued share capital held by Irish Government |
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| Founded | Registered as a company 7 February 2001, and was vested as transmission operator 1 July 2006 |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
| Key people | Dermot Byrne, Chief Executive Bernie Gray Chairperson |
| Industry | transmission/Electricity market operation |
| Employees | approx. 200 |
| Website | www.eirgrid.com |
EirGrid plc is the state-owned electric power transmission operator in the Republic of Ireland. It is a public limited company registered under the Companies Acts; 100% of its shares are held by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources who appoints the board. It is one of the state-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland and is regulated by the Commission for Energy Regulation.
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[edit] History
EirGrid was established under Irish and European laws including the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity) Regulations, 2000, which required the separation of the transmission system operator. It took over operation of the National Power System on July 1, 2006. Major Irish utility ESB, which previously operated the national grid, continues to hold ownership of the physical assets, with ESB staff performing construction and maintenance activities on behalf of EirGrid. Less than a year later on March 12 2007, a Government white paper on energy policy[1] proposed divesting ESB of ownership of its transmission assets and passing them to EirGrid. The effect of this on ESB would be to increase its cost base[2].
Industry sources have said that, if ESB lost that asset and the profits it generates each year, the circumstances governing the company’s credit rating would change. ‘‘This could lead to it having to pay more for future borrowings and even re-negotiating some of its existing borrowings,” a source said.
[edit] Role
EirGrid's primary purposes are the daily management of the Irish national grid, the operation of the wholesale power market, and the development of high voltage infrastructure to serve Ireland's economy. It is working with the regulator in line with Irish Government policy to develop a second interconnector to Northern Ireland and a 500MW interconector linking the Irish power system to Great Britain. EirGrid will own that interconnector after it is developed, under the Irish Government decision. EirGrid has its own separate board and is regulated by the Commission for Energy Regulation and its shares are held by the Irish government. EirGrid is responsible for balancing electricity consumption and generation, for the safe, secure and economical operation of the power system, and for the planning and development of the Irish power grid. EirGrid operates the wholesale power market and is cooperating with its counterpart in Northern Ireland, System Operator Northern Ireland (SONI), on the establishment of an All-Island wholesale electricity market. More information on the functions of EirGrid, along with graphs of electricity demand/wind generation output updated every 15 minutes, are available on its website www.eirgrid.com.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.dcmnr.gov.ie/Press+Releases/Dempsey+Outlines+A+New+Energy+Future+for+Ireland.htm
- ^ Proposals will affect the ESB’s credit rating
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Electricity generation in Ireland |  |
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Electricity generating stations |
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(NI) indicates Northern Ireland |
