AN ENERGY Master plan for Clooney/Spancilhill Community Development will be launched this Wednesday, May 25. 

In association with Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI) and Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA), the event is an opportunity for community members to hear details of the plan and find out about how homes can be upgraded to be warmer and more energy efficient. 

The plan will be launched by Senior Executive Officer for the Killaloe Municipal District, Morgan Lahiffe and Cathaoirleach, Councillor Joe Cooney, at the information evening, which will run from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Clooney National School.

The evening will provide details of a range of home energy grants and how to apply. There will also be a Q&A session with experts from TEA and information on the renewable energy options available to the local community. Specific information will be available to home and business owners, farmers and transport providers. 

This Clooney/Spancilhill Community Energy Master Plan has been developed to enable the community to look at its existing and future energy needs in terms of power, heat, and transport and to determine where it sees priorities and opportunities for action.

The creation of the plan has been led by a steering group that includes representatives from the Clooney/Spancilhill Community Development Group Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) with assistance from the SEAI county mentor. The project has been funded as part of the SEAI Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) programme.

Clooney/Spancilhill Community Development Group is a registered member of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) Sustainable Energy Community (SEC) Network. It has entered into a three-year Partnership Agreement with SEAI. The objectives of the SEC program are to increase energy efficiency; use renewable energy and develop decentralised energy supplies

The development of the Energy Master Plan (EMP) is the second in a five-step partnership process. The plan establishes the baseline energy consumption for a certain year, and the

formulation of a Register of Opportunities(RoO) that will deliver significant energy demand reductions and contributions from renewable energy sources. In this case. The study area consists of 25 townlands across the electoral divisions of Clooney, Newgrove, Rathclooney, Spancilhill, and Toberbreeda.

The  Energy Master Plan (EMP) will enable the local community to look at its existing and future energy needs (in terms of power, heat, and transport) and state where it sees priorities for action. It also identifies opportunities that the community determines offer practical action to support its current and future energy system developments.