Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the all island grid study that suggests Ireland could receive a possible 42% of it's electricity from renewable energy sources, mostly wind, by 2020 and that the study outlines that this would require some six gigawatts of wind turbines connected to the grid by then; his plan to raise his renewable energy target; his estimate of the amount and value of fossil fuels that will be saved in each of the next ten years; his estimate of the amount and value of emissions avoided in each of the next ten years; the amount by which fossil fuel generating plant capacity will be reduced in each of the next ten years; the amount of applications for wind turbines at present through the various Gate schemes; if he envisages a scheme whereby large amounts of wind turbines may be operational before their planned targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33453/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The All-Island Grid Study concluded that it is feasible to generate 42% of electricity on the island of Ireland from renewable energy sources by 2020 subject to a number of factors including the pace and scale of grid development and reinforcement and the development of more flexible conventional operational capacity on the system.

The study shows that we have the potential to do more than reach the Government target of 33% renewables which I consider to be the base rather than the limit of our ambitions. Achieving existing targets and aiming higher again is my objective, subject to ensuring Ireland's overall competitiveness and system security.

This is a complex challenge requiring major investment in our electricity transmission network and very significant investment from the conventional generation and renewables sector itself. We are putting in place the necessary strategies to deliver on our national and EU targets to ensure we can fully meet the energy and climate change challenges set out by successive European Councils.

The economic analysis module of the grid study was carried out by Ecofys. The modelling work in the study takes a snapshot in time in that it finds that, by 2020, in meeting a 42% renewable generation share, the net effect allows for a 25% reduction in carbon emissions and a 28% reduction in gas imports for electricity generation over the Grid Study's reference case, which is a 16% share of renewable generation capacity.

The All-island Grid Study itself recommends that further work be carried out to build on the analysis. Electricity market modelling work is currently being carried out by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) jointly with the Northern Ireland Regulator. I have also requested the Economic and Social Research Institute to assess the financial and economic costs and benefits of the renewable energy targets, which will further inform strategies to achieve those targets.

The latest figures on wind capacity from EirGrid show that there are 850MW of wind connected to the Irish system, 1,700MW with signed or open connection offers and over 7,500MW of capacity still in the queue.

The matter of connections to the electricity grid is one for the CER working with EirGrid. CER recently completed a public consultation on the current 'Gate 3' process under which CER proposes that 3,000MW of new renewable energy projects are brought forward into the connection process. Industry players have made a range of submissions under the consultation process and these are currently being considered by CER.