Dáil debates
Wednesday, 6 December 2023
Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate
Wind Energy Generation
9:40 am
Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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First, why is there no one from the Department with responsibility for the environment present? We were recently told by the Ceann Comhairle that if somebody from the Department or a Minister of State could not attend that, we would be advised of same. That has not happened. It is no disrespect to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I will proceed but it is totally disrespectful. It has happened to me on a number of occasions now. I have been in touch with the Ceann Comhairle, not on this issue but with regard to Topical Issues, in the past and the firm commitment from the Ceann Comhairle was that in future, Departments would contact Deputies if the Minister or the Minister of State cannot attend. I want to put that on the record.
Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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The Deputy is correct. That should have happened.
Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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The recent KPMG report, Act Now, makes for some very concerning reading when it comes to the likelihood of achieving our 2030 climate action targets for wind energy and solar energy.
The plan commits to having 80% of our electricity harnessed from wind and solar energy sources.
I thank Wind Energy Ireland for commissioning this really important and timely report that will inform the debate in this area. It outlines the hurdles the State faces in achieving its desirable renewable energy targets. The report notes that the problems in the renewable energy sector are systemic. We lack the processes, policies, organisations and dedicated resources needed to decarbonise our electricity system. Simply put, the report notes that the State is not doing enough in the field. This finding comes as no surprise as a review in 2022 noted that out of 13 European countries, Ireland scored joint lowest in preparedness to transition to renewable energy.
The KPMG report tells us that 95% of industry experts do not believe Ireland will reach its target of having 80% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2030. The report from Wind Energy Ireland highlights two main concerns, namely the planning process and the current state of our energy network. The report contains 20 recommendations, four pertaining to grid development and five to the planning process. The authors advise that renewable energy projects are entering a planning system that is unable to handle applications in a timely and efficient manner. Indeed, it highlights the fact that many respondents pointed to the planning system as a major challenge and called for increased resources. What tangible steps will the Government take to address the valid concerns raised in this report regarding grid capacity and planning delays?
9:50 am
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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This report is appropriately entitled Act Now. The Minister, Deputy Ryan, is at COP28, engaging in diplomatic efforts on climate change but there is a long way to go there, as we can see from the strength of the fossil fuel lobby. At home, the path is very clear on renewables, albeit not so much in other areas. It is very clear that we have the tools, the know how and the ability to deliver an energy revolution. We can deliver energy independence and security in Ireland but it seems that the Government cannot get out of its own way.
The report has been flagged as a wake-up call. It identifies the main obstacles, although we already know what they are, as does the Minister and the Government. There are issues with the planning system, grid capacity, the approach of Government in respect of connectedness, and the policies in place, all of which need to be addressed so we can deliver on what is a tremendous opportunity for the country and for all of its communities and citizens.
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The electricity sector is absolutely fundamental to achieving our national climate objectives and as such, Climate Action Plan 2023 sets a highly ambitious target of having renewable sources meet 80% of electricity demand by 2030. The plan also includes a comprehensive suite of actions through which we will realise the full potential of Ireland’s onshore and offshore renewable energy resources and continue to be an international leader in the development and generation of renewable energy, setting us on a course for a low-carbon, climate resilient future.
A renewable-led system is one of the core foundations of the climate action plan. This will allow us to radically reduce our emissions and our dependency on imported fossil fuels and to protect our energy security with indigenous renewable generation, as enshrined in the Government's recently launched energy security package. To ensure we keep pace with demand, we must accelerate the delivery of renewable electricity generation. This requires accelerating progress across the three pillars of renewables delivery, namely grid, planning and route to market. Two cross-Government and agency task forces have been established to support this. The accelerating renewable electricity task force has been established to coordinate and fast-track the increased deployment and output of onshore renewable electricity generation and support technologies in the near-term. The offshore wind delivery task force was established to drive delivery and capture the wider and longer-term economic and business opportunities associated with the development of offshore renewables.
The national electricity grid will provide the backbone for reaching our renewable electricity targets. lreland’s system operators, ESB Networks and EirGrid, are working on increasing our network efficiency, network resilience, and our ability to integrate variable renewable energy sources while reducing the need for new infrastructure where possible. In January this year ESB Networks published its Networks for Net Zero strategy outlining its commitment to meeting our 2030 targets, future-proofing our electricity network and making the country’s goal of net zero by 2050 a reality. In July this year, EirGrid published an updated version of Shaping Our Electricity Future, its roadmap for an electricity system which will incorporate 80% renewable electricity by 2030. EirGrid has identified more than 350 projects to be delivered at transmission system level and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, has sanctioned a €4 billion capital investment spend on the grid up to 2025.
To facilitate the unprecedented level of development required, alignment between the elements of the planning and permitting system at national, regional, and local levels to support the accelerated roll-out of renewable energy generation is required. Officials from the Departments of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage, and Environment, Climate and Communications are working closely on a range of policy measures to support the further roll-out of renewable electricity. This is in addition to the significant planning reform the Government introduced through the Planning and Development Bill, 2023, which will improve the consistency and alignment throughout all tiers of planning, provide increased certainty across the planning system through the introduction of statutory timelines for decision-making, and significantly increase the resources available to An Bord Pleanála.
The Deputies are absolutely correct about the importance of the renewable system in enabling Ireland to meet its carbon targets for 2050 and indeed, more rapidly, for 2030. An enormous amount of work has taken place in a relatively short period of time. We have done a lot in the past three and half years to catch up. We were a long way behind but we are moving rapidly to catch up and meet our ambitious targets.
Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his response. I have raised the concerns referred to in the Act Now report previously. Renewable energy has the potential to be a vital new source of revenue and energy for our market. The development of the sector is our chance to eventually become energy independent. We can either harness renewable energy and export any excess we do not need or we can import energy from abroad. That is the choice we have to make. We need a further commitment to delivering the changes needed to improve our energy grid and planning processes. To do this, we need policy development that will work in harmony with our national grid structure. We need an uptick in the training of planners and a rapid expansion of our energy grid.
Investment in renewable energy is our ticket to a better Ireland. We need to refocus our efforts to ensure that both offshore and onshore wind energy opportunities are grasped. As a native of Limerick, I have a particular interest in the development of Foynes Port and the surrounding area to accommodate offshore wind energy. I urge the Government to do all in its power to address the challenges raised in this deeply concerning report.
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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There is no denying that the Government is doing a lot, as is acknowledged in the report. The question is whether it is doing enough to deliver on the targets set out. The answer to that question is clearly "No". The Government is further away from our renewable energy targets this year than last year. There is a serious problem with planning. No onshore projects have come out of the planning process for a long while. There are clear proposals here and I encourage the Government to look at them. There are positive proposals in the report, some of which are in line with what is intended and others of which are new. Resourcing is a huge issue and it needs to be addressed. I urge the Government to realise the opportunity of State- and community-owned renewable energy. It has the potential to deliver transformational change but not without adequate resources, planning and grid infrastructure.
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Very real progress is being made in decarbonising the electricity sector. We are currently on track to reach approximately 6 GW of grid-connected renewables by the end of this year, with more than 300 onshore wind farms now generating clean energy across the country. Ireland is in the top five globally for both installed wind power capacityper capita and the contribution of wind energy to electricity demand, making us a world leader in the integration of variable renewable electricity into the grid. Climate Action Plan 2023 not only sets out an ambitious target of 80% of demand being met by renewable sources by 2030 but also includes a comprehensive set of measures for facilitating the large-scale deployment of renewables to reach this target. We are accelerating the delivery of our onshore and offshore renewable energy potential, including in planning, grid development and financial support schemes.
On the route to market, in 2023 we held two renewable electricity support scheme auctions.
This included our third onshore auction in which the successful projects represent a 12% increase in our renewable energy capacity from current levels, and our first offshore auction which saw more than 3 GW of capacity being procured. Future auctions will take place in the coming years, as per the indicative auction calendar, to ensure investment in this sector continues.
On planning, An Bord Pleanála has received significant additional resources, including a dedicated marine directorate, to process the offshore RESS planning applications, with an expected 50% increase in staffing numbers from 2021 levels.
On the grid, EirGrid and ESB Networks have identified the changes and improvements required to increase the efficiency and resilience of the grid network to reduce the need for new infrastructure while maintaining our energy security and ability to integrate variable renewable sources.