Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the expenditure at present by the Government on promoting the development of renewable and alternative energy resources here; if funding for renewable projects will be increased; if so, the amount of same; the amount of energy consumption currently being met by renewable fuel sources in total and individually through wind, biomass, solar, geothermal or wave resources; the generating capacity for electricity that each of these renewable sources are currently supplying; the breakdown of each renewable technologies use of renewable energy in the categories of electricity production, domestic and commercial use; his views on the potential contribution of wind, wave, biomass, combined heat and power or solar technologies to a future more diverse and balanced energy mix up to 2020 and beyond; the wave energy technology projects which are currently in place here; if his Department has undertaken forecasting to examine future energy trends here; if so, the projected increases in total energy production and consumption in the medium to long term (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2110/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The development of renewable energy technologies is a key Government priority and a range of initiatives are being taken to encourage and incentivise the development of renewable energy. The new renewable energy feed in tariff, REFIT, programme, which I intend to launch shortly, will assist developers to construct new renewable energy powered electricity generating plants. The programme, which will cost in the region of €119 million over 15 years, will contribute to the doubling of renewable energy technologies in terms of total electricity production from approximately 5% of total consumption to more than 13% by 2010.

Future targets beyond 2010 will be developed in the context of the all-island electricity market and in that context a public consultative process has been undertaken on an all-island vision for renewable energy to 2020 and beyond. The outcome of that consultation process will be reviewed with key industry players shortly coupled with further technical analysis, as well as available data on production and consumption trends to 2020, to assist in developing achievable targets for 2020.

Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, operates a number of capital investment support programmes and advice and information programmes which contribute to enhanced exploitation of renewable energy resources. These include the renewable energy RD&D programme, the House of Tomorrow programme and the alternative energy measure. In the period 2000-2005 SEI has overseen expenditure of €15.4 million on these programmes.

The announcement on budget day of a five-year renewables package of €65 million underlines this Government's commitment to developing renewable energy potential. Under this package I intend to launch a range of innovative grant schemes relating to biofuels, combined heat and power, biomass commercial heaters and domestic heat grants. An excise relief package for biofuels costing €205 million from 2006 to 2010, together with funding to assist the development of indigenous biofuel plant is also being put in place. The amount of energy consumption met from by renewable fuel sources in 2004, the last full year for which figures are available is set out in the following table.

Some very small quantities of biofuels were used in transport by Cork City Council in 2004 but the contribution to overall transport energy was in the order of 0.00002%.

The following table shows the levels of electricity generating plant powered by renewable energy technologies in megawatts. The capacities are as of late 2005 and the solar area as of 2004.

There are no data currently available to me to distinguish the distribution mix in the liberalised electricity market between domestic and commercial customers or among the customers of any individual supplier.

The further development of ocean energy possibilities is being progressed by the SEI and I look forward to further initiatives in this area of potential by the SEI and the Marine Institute working in close synergy. Demonstration projects and studies funded by SEI to date include: to provide the definitive engineering specification to allow the construction and deployment of a 1 MW wave energy pilot plant off the Irish west coast; scale modelling and wave tank testing programme of a wave energy device; assessment of inshore Atlantic wave regime, County Clare; participation in IEA ocean energy implementing agreement; assessment of tidal and marine current energy resources in Ireland; and assessment of economic benefits from development of ocean energy.