Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 368: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 20 October 2010 if he will explain his contention that onshore wind would cost zero if the wholesale market price of electricity were to rise to €100 million per megawatt hour when wind turbines have running costs, maintenance costs, re-powering costs and initial capital costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41186/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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In my recent reply to the Deputy, I indicated that when fuel prices result in a wholesale market price of €100 million per megawatt hour, onshore wind would cost zero.

The context for this statement was clearly the cost of onshore wind to the Public Service Obligation (PSO) which was the subject of the Deputy's question. No Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT) will be payable by the PSO when the wholesale market payments rise above the sum of the REFIT price plus the balancing payment.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 369: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 45 of 20 October 2010 if he will explain the basis for his contention that the present level of wind in the system has reduced wholesale prices by €6 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41195/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Commission for Energy Regulation has publicly indicated that their preliminary estimates show that the present level of wind in the system has reduced wholesale prices by an estimated 6% as opposed to €6 million as suggested in the Deputy's question. The Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO) website shows that the total energy price of the market last year was €1.746 billion, a 6% figure would represent over €100 million in estimated savings on that basis.