Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. We have a huge challenge in reaching our renewable energy targets. We need more initiatives like the one the Minister has described which is very encouraging. We have opportunities in solar, hydro and biomass energy. There are also huge opportunities in offshore wind. There seems to be a focus, understandably, on larger scale energy producers. I want to raise the issue of micro-generation, that is, the small generation of electric power by individuals, small businesses and communities to meet their own needs or alternatively as a supplement to the traditional centralised grid connection. I have a constituent in east Clare who has been in touch with my office. He has put together and designed a power generating unit that can generate power off a local stream. It makes sense to me that an individual like that should be in a position to benefit from the initiative and sell that electricity to the national grid. Will the scheme the Minister is putting together deal with that issue?

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