Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has statutory responsibility to ensure security of supply. It also has the duty to monitor electricity supplies and to take such measures as it considers necessary to protect the security of supply. It is assisted in this role by EirGrid and my Department. The CRU currently has a programme of actions under way to ensure the security of electricity supply over coming winters. The security of supply programme of actions contains both a number of demands and supply-side mitigation measures to address the forecasted shortfall. These actions include the procurement of new enduring capacity through a number of capacity auctions; procuring additional temporary generation; extending the availability of existing generation capacity; additional use of grid-scale batteries; and improved demand-side measures.

One of the sites selected for temporary generation capacity is located in Huntstown. It will provide 50 MW of back-up capacity to meet peak demand as a last resort, if all other dispatchable generation has been exhausted. These units are temporary in nature and, therefore, are not expected to be available to provide a long-term district heating solution for their localities. My Department established a district heating steering group this year which draws together expertise and experience relevant to district heating from a number of public sector stakeholders.

The steering group is in the process of drafting its report, in which it will make recommendations to advance district heating projects in the State.

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