Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps I could get something in writing about battery storage. It has been mentioned as a one-liner at the end of these meetings for the past six years but we hear a lot about all the other areas, and the smart meter plans, etc. Exactly how much resourcing has been put into that area? Wind Energy Ireland talked about where that fits in with the mapping piece that it has been doing. It would be very good to have more information on it. I look at the €900 million that is proposed to be spent on LNG and an LNG floating terminal. It would be very interesting to look at how much is being spent on battery infrastructure in comparison.

I have two other quick questions, one on costings and charges. The network charges for 2024 to 2025 were increased to cover the cost of temporary emergency generation. Excluding the additional temporary charges, how much of the network's component of electricity unit prices for the different categories of electricity customers is likely to increase by a percentage for the duration of PR 6, compared to PR 5? How are they going to be broken down in terms of households versus data centres? We are seeing the cost going up for households but the cost for large energy users is going down. That seems to be the projection.

Are there plans under PR 6 for additional network capacity for data centres or the expansion of existing data centres beyond what we have now? What are the issues in relation to fossil fuel generation attached to them? In terms of private wires, we did not see any prohibition on the question of fossil fuel generation there.

This is a general question for EirGrid. We still have a linking to gas costs. In terms of allowing us to really benefit from renewable energy and to see the impact in lower costs, is the linking of it to gas not preventing us from moving into a new era where the lower costs can be reflected for customers? That is for Wind Energy Ireland if the witnesses wish to respond.