Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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810. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the amount of the €35 million of seed capital provided for energy efficiency projects in Budget 2013 that has been expended to date; and if he will outline the nature and number of projects which the fund is supporting. [38092/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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The Energy Efficiency Fund is being established with the aim of providing finance for energy efficiency initiatives in the public and private sectors. I secured €35m for this purpose, from the remaining monies in the Carbon Revenue Levy Fund in Budget 2013; the aim is to attract matching funding from the private sector, such that the overall amount available for investment would be at least €70 million.NewEra has been asked by the Government to coordinate establishment of the Fund and ensure it is appropriately managed. NewEra and my Department have completed an extensive process of engagement with potential investors and fund managers with experience in making and managing investments in the energy efficiency sector. The investors, through the Fund manager, will determine the Fund’s structure and operational priorities. The call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the appointment of the Fund manager was advertised on 7 August 2013, with a deadline for receipt of submissions by 17 September. It is expected that a preferred bidder will be selected in October.

I launched the first tranche of twenty-two exemplar energy efficiency projects under the Action Plan for Jobs on 19 June last. Collectively, the exemplar projects will see investment of up to €55m in energy saving measures, resulting in annual savings of €7m.

Exemplar projects are demonstration projects that are prepared to use, test and provide feedback on the approach, tools and structures provided under the National Energy Services Contracting Framework. The Framework has been developed to stimulate the market for energy efficiency measures in the non-residential sector. A key aim of the Framework is to develop robust projects that are investment-ready for financing entities (such as the Energy Efficiency Fund). This will facilitate the development of an Energy Services Company (ESCO) market, thereby supporting sustainable employment in construction and professional services. The Framework also aims to provide best-practice guidance to public and private sector client organisations when procuring energy services and engaging ESCOs.

Further information on the exemplar projects and the National Energy Services Framework can be found on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s website http://www.seai.ie/Your_Business/National_Energy_Services_Framework

The following table lists the organisations involved in the Exemplar projects.