FuturEnergy Ireland was proud to be a sponsor of the Irish Planning Institute Annual Conference last week, where an energetic, collaborative spirit and a "can-do" attitude prevailed.
What stood out clearly for the FuturEnergy Ireland team was that Regional Planning Policy, particularly the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) and the country’s first Regional Renewable Energy Strategies (RRESs), is where Ireland’s housing, infrastructure and climate ambitions will either succeed or fail.
Strong, innovative, outcome-focused regional policy is critical in achieving our climate targets and strengthening energy security, and the conference sessions last week demonstrated a keen recognition of this.
The conference theme, ‘Planning Across Scales, Building Resilient Places’, strongly resonates with our work at FuturEnergy Ireland developing renewable energy projects that will support the country’s transition to a carbon neutral society. We welcomed many attendees at our exhibition stand where discussions ranged from policy implementation to project specifics such as visuals and noise.
This important gathering of planning specialists and political stakeholders, including Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran TD, also saw many students in attendance. The Student Awards, presented at the Gala Dinner, showcased an impressive range of practical, innovative and confident projects, proving that the next generation of planners will play a decisive role in shaping Ireland’s future.
Main picture: Sinead O'Malley, Janine Thomas and Juliet Ryan.
Below: Minister Moran with Juliet Ryan.
