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Home Opinion Comment We’re sleep-walking into an energy crisis worse than in the 1970s, but we can still avert the danger if we wake up Oil and gas firms should be allowed to explore deeper gas horizons under the Corrib gas and condensate field off the Co Mayo coast. Picture by John Stillwell Oil and gas firms should be allowed to explore deeper gas horizons under the Corrib gas and condensate field off the Co Mayo coast. Picture by John StillwellDavid Horgan Sun 11 Sep 2022 at 02:30 Ireland is exposed to energy interruptions and price hikes. We import 100pc of our oil, and three-quarters of our gas. Our heavily subsidised windy renewables generate useful power about a quarter of the time, stress the electrical grid, and require 100pc back-up from fossil fuels. We have little pumped or battery storage, no gas storage, and most of our oil storage is overseas. Recent governments ignored the need for reliable energy — preferring ideology to common sense. There are no magical solutions. We need multiple sources of energy, and multiple routes to market. Need help to get synopsis of this article with as much details as possible

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Detailed Synopsis of the Article

The opinion piece, titled We’re sleep-walking into an energy crisis worse than in the 1970s, but we can still avert the danger if we wake up, was written by David Horgan and published on September 10, 2022, in the Irish Independent. Horgan, who draws from his experience in natural resources exploration since the 1970s, argues that Ireland is dangerously vulnerable to an impending energy crisis far more severe than the oil shocks of the 1970s, primarily due to over-reliance on imports, flawed renewable energy strategies, and shortsighted government policies driven by ideology rather than practicality.

He emphasizes the urgency of pragmatic actions to mitigate the risks, including reopening offshore exploration and advocating for European gas pipeline activations, while critiquing the sustainability of current “green” approaches. The article opens with a call to allow oil and gas firms to explore deeper gas horizons beneath the Corrib gas and condensate field off the County Mayo coast, illustrated by a reference to a photo by John Stillwell. Horgan highlights Ireland’s acute exposure to energy supply disruptions and price volatility: the country imports 100% of its oil and 75% of its gas, leaving it highly dependent on foreign sources. He criticizes the nation’s heavily subsidized wind-based renewables, noting they produce usable power only about 25% of the time, impose stress on the electrical grid, and necessitate full backup from fossil fuels to maintain reliability.

Compounding these issues is Ireland’s inadequate infrastructure, including minimal pumped hydro or battery storage for electricity, no domestic gas storage facilities, and the majority of oil reserves held overseas rather than locally. Horgan accuses recent Irish governments of neglecting the fundamentals of reliable energy supply in favor of ideological pursuits, asserting there are “no magical solutions” to energy security. Instead, he advocates for diversification through multiple energy sources and supply routes to build resilience. He contends that Ireland’s irrational policies made an energy crunch inevitable, regardless of external triggers like the Ukraine conflict—alternatives could have included a Brexit-related trade dispute or instability in the Middle East. This complacency, he warns, is leading the nation into a crisis reminiscent of but exceeding the 1970s energy shortages, with potential for widespread blackouts, bankruptcies, and economic hardship.

Questioning the long-term viability of “Greenery” (a term he uses to refer to aggressive environmental policies), Horgan points out the irony in abandoning the precautionary principle amid looming energy shortages. He challenges the assumption that the current crunch will be short-lived, limited to one winter, and invokes the historical figure of the “glimmerman”—a reference to the rationing enforcers during Ireland’s past fuel crises—as a symbol of recurring scarcity.

Drawing on his professional background, where his group has been involved in exploration since the 1970s, Horgan positions himself as an experienced voice advocating for realism over optimism.The article shifts to actionable solutions, stressing that the crisis can be averted and lives saved through “common sense” measures. Internationally, he urges pushing Germany and the EU to activate gas flows through the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which was completed and safety-approved in September 2021 (prior to the article’s publication). With a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters—equivalent to the halted Nord Stream 1—this pipeline features modern turbines and dedicated supplies from northern Russian gas fields. Horgan argues that sanctioning energy imports is counterproductive, as it disproportionately harms European citizens and economies without effectively pressuring Russian leadership or military operations.

Domestically, Horgan calls for the repeal of legislation that bans gas and oil exploration in Ireland’s offshore waters. He details how the 2015 Atlantic Margin Licensing Round attracted billions in investments for seismic surveys and exploratory wells, promising significant discoveries. However, drilling was abruptly stopped in 2019 by then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar before deep-water targets could be fully assessed and resources brought online. Labeling this decision as “Ireland’s costliest own-goal,” Horgan claims that without such political interference, Ireland could have achieved energy self-sufficiency similar to the United States and even become an exporter of oil and gas in the near term.

Overall, the piece serves as a stark wake-up call, blending critique of policy failures with specific, evidence-based recommendations to diversify and secure energy supplies. Horgan’s tone is urgent and pragmatic, rooted in historical context and his industry expertise, while underscoring that ideological blind spots have exacerbated vulnerabilities that could lead to prolonged economic and social fallout if not addressed immediately.