Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department is considering a shift in public policy to incentivise other renewable energy sources, including solar energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18053/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The overarching objective of the Government’s energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. In the context of the forthcoming energy policy paper, my Department is considering the optimal fuel mix, including the role of renewable energy, for Ireland. The Green Paper on Energy Policy, inter alia, sought feedback on the role that alternative technologies, such as solar, could play in delivering our renewable energy ambitions. Views received will be taken into consideration in the preparation of the White Paper on Energy which will be published in September.

The Renewable Electricity Feed in Tariff (REFIT) schemes are the principal means of supporting renewable electricity generators for renewable energy exported to the grid. These schemes support electricity generated from a range of renewables sources including small scale hydro, biomass and wind. Small scale renewable generation is eligible to apply for support under the REFIT schemes.

Analysis of the potential of microgeneration technologies such as small scale wind, solar (including photovoltaic) and small scale hydro, has been carried out by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The SEAI's findings, along with responses to the recent consultation on the Green Paper on Energy Policy in Ireland, will inform future policy on the provision of any market support for microgeneration.

Given the emerging policy context and the requirements of the EU target market for electricity, my Department is beginning the process of developing a new support scheme for electricity, to be available from 2016 onwards. A key component of this will be consideration of all available technologies, their cost effectiveness and the level of support required. The scheme will be subject to State Aid clearance and the initial public consultation on the new scheme will commence shortly.