Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the incentives available for the development of wind energy in Ireland. [3861/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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In terms of supporting renewable energy, Ireland is legally obliged under Directive 2009/28/EC to increase consumption of renewables to 16% by 2020. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan sets out the planned trajectory for achieving the target across the electricity, heat and transport sectors with 40% needed in electricity, 10% in transport and 12% in heat to meet Ireland’s overall 16% commitment.

Renewable energy is being supported by a variety of policy initiatives. Renewable electricity is now the largest contributor to renewable energy consumption and is expected to contribute most to our 2020 target. The largest contribution in the electricity sector is expected to be made through generation from wind technologies, followed by biomass technologies. For the support of commercial renewable generation, my Department administers a renewable energy support mechanism known as the Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff (REFIT). The terms and conditions of REFIT are available on the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources’ website.

The feed in tariff or REFIT scheme underpins investment in renewable energy to meet Ireland’s legally binding renewable target, by providing sufficient certainty to developers to finance projects through guarantee of a minimum price for wind exported to the grid over a 15 year period. Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), shows that wind acts as a hedge against high fossil fuel prices.