Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the incentives there are for people to choose to use alternative energy. [20680/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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There are a number of incentives available to those who wish to use alternative energy. The multi-annual financial package for renewable energy announced in Budget 2006 provides funding of up to €65m over a 5 year period for renewable energy schemes that will include grants for a range of renewable heat, electricity and transport initiatives. The programmes cover the biofuels, biomass heating, combined heat and power (CHP) and domestic energy sectors. The first part of this package, the Greener Homes Scheme, which provides funding of €27m for renewable energy heat technologies for the domestic sector, was launched in March this year.

In the area of renewable electricity our immediate programme is to increase the contribution from renewable energy to electricity to 13.2% by 2010. This requires capacity of 1,450 megawatts (MW) and we are on track to achieve this target: In the last two years alone, Ireland has doubled its renewable generating capacity to 846MW. A further 630MW has signed connection agreements. To ensure that these projects are delivered, I have launched the Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) programme. This Programme, which will cost in the region of €119m over fifteen years, will underpin the viability of these projects by offering 15 year contracts to developers.

These measures will ensure we reach the target. Not only will we achieve our 2010 renewable electricity targets — we intend to surpass them. In support of this aim, an additional 1,300 MW of wind projects were released into the connection process in the last few weeks.