Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Boylan for raising this important matter. The climate action plan sets out a road map to cut Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Decarbonising Ireland's electricity system will play a vital role in this transition and, therefore, the Government has agreed a more ambitious commitment to increase the proportion of renewable electricity to up to 80% by 2030. Renewable electricity will also support the decarbonisation of other sectors such as transport and heat. Using renewable electricity to power vehicles and heat homes and offices is an essential step to a zero-carbon future. The climate action plan recognises the need for a range of supporting measures to enable the transformation of the electricity sector. This will involve the development of a balanced portfolio of technologies to facilitate the energy transition, including storage and demand-side response to support a grid with increased levels of renewable electricity.Demand-side response involves users of electricity reducing their usage from their normal or current consumption patterns when required. It is an increasingly important element of the management of electricity networks worldwide. Successfully lowering electricity demand ultimately avoids the cost and inconvenience of building new generators and transmission lines. Managing demand by changing the time electricity is used can allow greater use of renewable power and considerable savings to households and businesses. Demand-side management is currently used by EirGrid in managing the power system efficiently.

Action 100 of the 2021 climate action plan requires the energy regulator, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, CRU, to deliver an electricity demand-side strategy by the end of this year, following public consultation. This demand-side strategy will aim to have industrial, commercial and residential demand fully participating in supporting system needs with high levels of renewable generation, and seek to facilitate active participation by consumers and communities in the energy market. Key stakeholders will be EirGrid, ESB Networks and a variety of market participants. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications will also take a keen interest in the development of the strategy. The strategy will be expected to consider various demand-side management techniques, including energy efficiency measures and demand response measures.

Under the national smart metering programme, new electricity meters, systems and processes are being implemented by ESB Networks to provide energy users with improved and more accessible information that will help them better understand and manage their energy consumption, and will enable higher renewable electricity by encouraging flexible demand. Smart meters will give access to new tariffs and services and support participation in the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and society.

ESB Networks is currently working on the delivery of a new strategy, the National Network, Local Connections programme, which is designed to reinforce the electricity network to ensure it is fit for purpose to underpin a thriving economy. Central to the work is a commitment to ensure citizens and communities are empowered to access the grid like more commercial players. Empowering consumers to be participants in the energy transition will take many forms, including supporting them to generate and export excess electricity to the grid as well as to join groups active in the system such as through microgrid initiatives or demand-side management groups.

The unprecedented crisis in European energy, sparked by Russia’s indefensible war on Ukraine, has underscored the urgent need to expedite the energy transition and to ensure Europe capitalises on its renewable resources. This not only means finding ways to bring more renewables online but facilitating an agile and dynamic electricity grid that can respond to challenges in supply and demand, with demand-side responses playing an ever-critical role.