Written answers

Tuesday, 14 November 2006

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Alternative Energy Projects

9:00 am

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 345: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans for the development of renewable energy resources in view of our continually growing dependence on oil imports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37887/06]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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A number of innovative alternative energy programmes are in place as part of a €65m initiative announced in the context of Budget 2006. The programme is being rolled-out over a five year period and provides funding for the domestic, commercial, services and industrial sectors as follows: the €27m Greener Homes domestic renewable heat grants programme is providing grants for householders for the purpose of installing renewable heating including wood biomass boilers and stoves, solar panels and heat pumps; the €22m Bioheat grants programme provides grants for commercial scale wood biomass boilers aimed at the business and services sectors; the €11m Combined Heat and Power grants programme is providing funding for the commercial sector to switch to more efficient electricity and heat generation.

In addition to these funding measures, a number of other financial initiatives have been introduced. In July, I launched a five-year excise relief programme for biofuels, valued at over €200m. The programme builds on a pilot initiative rolled out in 2005, in which eight biofuels project were granted excise relief over a two-year period. In June, I launched the Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff which is providing a fixed feed-in-tariff for renewable electricity over a fifteen year period.

The Bio-energy Ministerial Task Force, which I established in July, will develop, by end-year a cohesive national bioenergy strategy including biofuels. Further initiatives including the question of additional supports are being considered in the context of developments to date the Green Paper on Energy Policy, and the Estimates and Budgetary processes.

The Green Paper on Energy Policy published on 1st October envisages a target of 30% of electricity consumed, will be produced from renewable energy sources by 2020. This is double the 15% target already announced by 2010. It is expected that wind powered technology will make the key contribution to achieving the target.

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