Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which alternative energy supply to the national electricity grid has been increased in each of the past five years to date in 2009; the number, origin and nature of the supply; the degree to which access of the national grid has been simplified or streamlined; the extent to which efficiency and cost effective norms are being achieved with particular reference to the need for price reductions to the industrial and domestic sectors at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10389/09]

Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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Alternative energy supply to the national electricity grid has increased each year in the last five years for which data is available, viz. 4.4% in 2003, 5.2 % in 2004, 6.8% in 2005, 8.6% in 2006, and 9.5% in 2007. Estimates for 2008 show the figure to stand at around 11%. There are approximately 1,400 megawatts of renewables connected to the grid. In excess of 1,000MW is wind with hydro contributing approximately 238MW. The remainder comprises biomass and biogas.

The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) has operated a group approach to connecting projects to the national grid, which is designed to streamline the connection process in the interests of efficiency and cost effectiveness for developers. The majority of projects in the Gate 2 group processing approach, 1,348 MW approximately, have now received grid connection offers.

The Gate 3 process was recently the subject of a public consultation by the CER and it proposes to process a further 3,900MW for network connection. In November last year EirGrid published its GRID25 plan, which sets out the overall strategy for development of the transmission system in support of renewable energy and the economy.