Offaly could be wasteland without green energy project - Mainstream chief

Offaly could be a wasteland in the future without a massive green energy project planned by Mainstream Renewable Power according to its chief Eddie O'Connor. Speaking to the Offaly Independent Mr O'Connor also said he's confident wind turbine manufacturers can be tempted to set up a base in the Irish midlands. That idea was mooted recently as a way to ensure longterm sustainable jobs in an area set to become part of a wind energy project by Mainstream Renewable Energy that will see the UK supplied with up to 5,000MW of energy. Mr O'Connor said his company is currently looking to make the move happen along with bodies including Enterprise Ireland. "We're actively working on that," he confirmed this week. Mr O'Connor also welcomed a deal reached by his company and the IFA for landowners whose land might be suitable for inclusion in the project that hopes to reach planning stage by 2015. Complementing the IFA on the "fine job" they do, Mr O'Connor said he was delighted to have reached agreement. "We're not an exploitative type of company," he said, adding that Mainstream has a global reputation that sees them behave with a set of values that has respect at its core. "You have to work always in harmony with your stakeholders," he said. "Any project such as this is always very risky. There's planning risks, there's sea risks, there will be people objecting to what you're doing," he added. "You don't want to multiply the risks by falling out with various stakeholders," said Mr O'Connor. He added that the project with Offaly at its heart is going to be up there with the largest in the world. "You get huge big projects in Texas, but this is going to be as big as any of the big ones in Texas," he said. Advantages to the wind energy project include that it's free fuel, Irish and able to create a massive number of jobs according to Mr O'Connor. It will also replace Bord na Móna's peat extraction business he said, adding that without the Mainstream project "Offaly could be a wasteland" in the future. Mr O'Connor said green energy is "part of the future" and something the world needs most notably because of the environment and the current price of oil. He said that if Offaly and Ireland embraces the idea it could lead to a new economy, with Ireland exporting energy harvested from the sea in future to places without sea access. Confirming that the project is currently running to schedule, Mr O'Connor also issued a challenge to those in opposition to the project. "I'm very keen to get those people on radio for a debate," he said. "That's one of my goals."