Fiona O'Malley (Dún Laoghaire, Progressive Democrats)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when the power purchase agreements will be offered to the offshore projects of AER VI; and if he will publish a timetable of offer, acceptance, and rejection of the power purchase agreements and subsequent grid application connections in the form of a spreadsheet on his Department's website as provided for in the AER VI tender documents. [24381/04]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The offshore wind energy category of AER VI was subject to State aids clearance by the European Commission. It was not possible to make a formal offer to the successful applicants until the Commission formally notified its decision. My Department recently received the necessary clearance to proceed.

The associated power purchase agreement will be concluded between ESB customer service and the winning applicants in the offshore category of AER VI shortly. However, ESB customer service will not be in a position to execute the power purchase agreement until a related order under section 39 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 is published. It was not possible to progress a draft order to conclusion in advance of the Commission's decision and any special conditions which might arise. The draft order is now at an advanced stage of preparation but I am not in a position to give a publication date.

The terms and conditions of the AER VI competition state that a winning applicant must acknowledge receipt of a conditional offer of a power purchase agreement within ten days of its receipt, and must apply to the appropriate network operator for a grid connection within twenty days of receipt of the power purchase agreement. There is no provision within the AER VI terms and conditions for the publication of a spreadsheet as described in the Deputy's question.