Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move recommendation No. 17:

In page 37, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following:

“29. The Minister shall, within 3 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on the take up of the tax credit to recompense householders for the renewably generated electricity fed back into the national grid.”

This recommendation relates to the tax-free amount available to homeowners for the electricity generated by their solar panels and wind turbines that is fed back to the national grid. With regard to the number of homeowners that are feeding into the grid, according to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, there is no single register to record the number of microgenerators exporting at any one time. ESB Networks maintains a register of NC6 submissions which records the number of microgenerators that have had their export capabilities registered. As of 3 November this year, ESB Networks received 73,286 valid NC6 form applications from microgenerators nationwide, which amounts to approximately 273 MW of electricity generation capacity. This is an increasingly important area. It is important that we monitor the uptake of the tax-free amount available for electricity generated. I hope this area will be one that will continue to grow and provide support for those who are investing but also in terms of the national grid.