Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 126: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his preferred options for the generation of electricity in the future from wind, oil, gas, coal, hydro or renewable fuels; the most appropriate blend of generation capacity in view of the need to maintain continuity of supply and compliance with Kyoto and the optimum use of natural renewable resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26572/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Maintaining diversity in fuels for electricity generation is one of the key issues in energy policy. While our electricity fuel mix is currently heavily reliant on fossil fuels, particularly gas, we have doubled our renewable generating capacity over the past two years and are on course to exceed our target of 13.2% of electricity from renewable energy by 2010. Because of this rapid progress, I recently announced that I am setting a revised target of 15% for 2010. The forthcoming Energy Green Paper will set an even more ambitious target for 2020.

In addition, the Green Paper will also address the importance of maintaining a diverse mixture of other fuels such as coal, clean coal, peat and gas in the future. The Commission for Energy Regulation is responsible for issuing authorisations for the construction of generating stations and, accordingly, is responsible for taking account of the mix of plant type on the system and the type of plant required in the context of the Generation Adequacy Report published by the Transmission System Operator.