Businesses are worried they’ll be forced to frontload high energy payments to finance temporary electricity generation this winter. Large energy users will also be the first firms forced to cut their energy demand if the national grid comes under unsustainable pressure. Cliff Taylor speaks to Ibec’s chief economist, Ger Brady, about the implications for the sector and the economy as a whole, in the event of rolling blackouts. The Irish Times’ Barry O’Halloran reports on the diverging views of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities and operator Eirgrid, at yesterday’s Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action. We also look at how the CRU proposes to deal with shortages over the coming winter. Plus, we examine the European Commission’s mooted redesign of the electricity wholesale market, after the EC President announced the commission is working on an “emergency intervention and structural reform.” The Irish Times’ Fiona Reddan also looks at what domestic measures may be announced in the upcoming budget to ameliorate the situation facing households. And we take a look at what tax and spending changes might be made in the areas of housing, social welfare, income tax and once-off payments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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