Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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458. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when he envisages that the electricity system will be capable of utilising all of the electricity generated on a daily basis from renewable sources. [1263/14]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Currently there is over 2,100 MW of renewable electricity generation connected to the grid. This is made up of wind, hydro, bioenergy, renewable combined heat and power (CHP) and solar. On 17 December 2013 a record output for wind alone of 1,769 MW was achieved. This demonstrates the increasing capacity of the grid to utilise high amounts of electricity from renewable generation sources.

EirGrid operates the power system to ensure that the necessary reliability and security for consumers is maintained at all times.To ensure that required standards of reliability can be maintained on the power system, while accommodating increasing levels of renewable electricity in line with the requirement under EU Directive 2009/28 for priority dispatch of renewable generation, EirGrid is implementing the DS3 programme. This work currently facilitates an operational, instantaneous, real time limit of 50% of the system demand from wind generation at any given time. EirGrid is working on moving this limit to 75% in the coming years. This is a significant operational and design challenge. In increasing the amount of renewable energy used on the power system, the upgrade of the national grid through Grid25, and the introduction of smart grid technologies, are vital to ensure the future secure operation of the grid.

In 2012, 19.6% of Ireland electricity demand was met from renewable generation. Ireland is committed to achieving a yearly average of 40% of electricity from renewable sources in order to meet our EU target of 16% of all energy coming from renewable sources by 2020.