Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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905. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in view of EirGrid's All-Island Generation Capacity Statement 2015-2024, which stated that between 3,200 and 3,800 megawatts of wind generating capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity, if this figure includes Northern Ireland; the reason this increased power capacity is focused only on wind energy and not across other sectors, such as biomass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28879/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive set Ireland a legally binding target of meeting 16% of our energy requirements from renewable sources by 2020. In order to meet this target, Ireland is committed to meeting 40% of electricity demand from renewable sources. Currently, the total amount of renewable generation connected to the grid is 2,700 MW approx. of which just under 2,400 MW is wind. EirGrid has forecasted in its “All-Island Generation Capacity Statement 2015-2024” that between 3,200 and 3,800 MW of wind generating capacity will be required to allow Ireland to achieve 40% renewable electricity. This figure does not include Northern Ireland. A separate section of the document deals with other sources of renewable generation such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP), biofuels, small scale hydro and ocean energy. The assumptions made for other renewable generation will have a bearing on how much wind energy needs to be generated to reach the 40% target. Currently the REFIT schemes are the primary means through which electricity from renewable sources is supported in Ireland. These schemes support electricity generated from a range of renewable sources including biomass and are paid for by electricity customers through the Public Service Obligation.

To date, onshore wind energy has been the most cost effective renewable technology in the Irish electricity market, contributing most towards the achievement of the 2020 target. The cost effectiveness of support for renewables is a key consideration in the work now underway in my Department to consider the appropriateness and design of any new support scheme for renewable electricity. Any scheme would be subject to EU rules on State Aid. Taking account of developments in EU electricity market integration, my Department will be engaging with stakeholders in this work, a key component of which will be consideration of the available technologies, their cost effectiveness and the level of any support required.