British-Irish Council endorses energy infrastructure research

BIC aims to affect emerging EU grid infrastructure policy.

The British-Irish Council (BIC) has agreed to push the development of the marine energy sector with a view to capitalising on wave and tidal resources.

At the BIC summit in Guernsey, the council welcomed and endorsed the progress and future work plan of the Marine Renewables sub-group, which includes the exchange of best practice guidelines on marine environment and research issues and the identification of key opportunities for ongoing collaboration across administrations, New Energy Focus reported.

The sub-group was established in 2009 as part of the introduction of a new energy workstream focused on two areas - electricity grid infrastructure and marine renewables.

BIC confirmed at the summit that the sub-group was particularly concerned with influencing planning proposals for electricity grid infrastructure and with exerting greater influence on the direction of emerging EU policy on and funding for grid infrastructure.

The next BIC Summit will be held in December 2010 and will be hosted by the Isle of Man.