Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of wind farms currently contributing to the national grid; the total electricity generated thereby; the number of such farms seeking access to the national grid and their capacity to produce electricity in the future; when it is expected that approval will be given to all such applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35858/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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There are currently in excess of 1,400 megawatts (MWS) of renewable powered electricity generating plants accessing the electricity grid. Wind powered technology is the dominant renewable technology. There are 92 windfarms connected with a combined capacity in excess of 1,000 MWs compared to hydro-power with 240 MWs approximately connected and a lesser volume of biomass powered plant connected.

Based on current technology trends, the dominance of the wind-powered category to date is expected to continue out to 2020 at least. The amount of renewable-powered plant connected and accessing the electricity grid is increasing steadily from year to year. It is estimated the available plants will contribute 12.2% of all electricity consumed in 2009, compared to 4.4% in 2003. Under European Directive 2001/77/EC, Ireland was set a target of 13.2% for renewable electricity to be achieved by 2010. Ireland is on track to exceed this target and is expected to meet a national target of 15% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010.

There are a further 1400 MWs, approximately, of capacity in additional renewable projects which have received connection offers, which have been accepted into the Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) and are in the process of gaining grid access. It is estimated that less than 300 MWs of this additional capacity is required to deliver or exceed the Government target to increase the contribution from renewable energy sources to 15% of all electricity consumed by 2010. Under the new European renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC, Ireland's target is for 16% of all energy (to include electricity, heating and transport) to be from renewable energy by 2020. The Government's national target of 40% of electricity to be from renewable sources by 2020 will play a significant role towards contributing to our overall 2020 target.

In December 2008, the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) issued a decision which requires EirGrid and ESB Networks to provide connection offers for an additional 3,900 MWs of new renewable capacity to ensure the 2020 target can be achieved. Connection offers are expected to issue between late 2009 and mid 2011. This additional level of capacity, taken together with the capacity already built and the capacity that already has connection offers, is capable of meeting our 40% 2020 electricity target which EirGrid and the CER equate to an overall capacity of 5,800 MW of renewable capacity. Figures from CER indicate that there are in the region of 7,000 MW of further applications for grid connection. There is currently no breakdown of the technologies in this latter group available.