Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 518: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will indicate the current status of the REFIT policy; the expected timeline for implementation; if he will provide details on what the proposed REFIT tariff of 9.5 cent per kilowatt hour to cover; if he will give an update of the current status of this policy at National and European level [39411/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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In May of this year, I announced a Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff (REFIT) Scheme for electricity generated from biomass, ranging from 8.5 cent per kilowatt hour to 15 cent per kilowatt hour depending on the technology deployed.

A tariff of 9.5 cent per kw/h has been set for electricity generated from energy crops including willow and miscanthus. A tariff of 8.5 cent will apply to electricity from other types of biomass including support for electricity generated from biomass co-fired with peat in the peat-fired power stations. Higher tariffs will apply to Combined Heat and Power plants which generate heat as well as electricity from biomass. National objectives for supporting the biomass contribution to renewable electricity and heat targets are set out in Ireland's National Renewable Action Plan (NREAP), which was submitted to Brussels last July.

State Aid Clearance from the European Commission is required before the new feed in tariffs can be implemented. My Department is currently finalising the State Aid submission with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and this will be forwarded to the Commission very shortly.