From whose prospective is the ‘energy trilemma’ in Crogga’s The Role of Natural Gas in Solving the ‘Energy Trilemma’ two page Examiner, February 14. The fossil fuel industry’s or Isle of Man’s? Are we sure that we have enough clarity?

Are we to be bullied into submission? What certainty does gas offer? It is not a green energy.

What is so unacceptable about relying on our existing 60MW electric interconnector from Bispham?

We prefer food imports, why not energy as well? We are not self reliant. We know about climate change, the war, world food shortages and yet we fail on food security. We ignore the pleas of our grain farmers and will let them go to the wall.

The island trilemma of supply, maintenance and disposal is rarely addressed in opening gambits promoting new projects. Cost overruns of materials, equipment, and enough workers are not planned for, expertise and knowledge for ongoing maintenance are unidentified, and initial provision/legal ownership of end of life disposal are never discussed.

Interconnection with the UK National Grid seems straightforward. It minimises these issues that dog every small isolated community or island.

Braddan Commissioners has budget overrun due to shortage of materials and workers on their development.

Cost for just one Department of Infrastructure gate for Port Erin (cruise ships?) shoots up because we chose an item that requires off-island expertise.

Multiple unfinished buildings/dereliction sites are turning this island into a dump. In many places, simply a clean and a coat of paint would do wonders.

Also, a solar panel field development would have issues of scale, equipment, expertise (and weather?).

We seem so easily swayed by grandiose promises.

So keen for ‘growth’ we overlook or simply can’t think through the complex issues or the world context of any proposed new development.

In this volatile world, we know that we are interdependent. The UK and elsewhere live with uncertainty and so must we.

Better the energy devil we know.

For now, let’s eschew big infrastructure projects and rely on our cable to the UK National Grid.

Nina Matthews

Tennis Road

Douglas

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