Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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630. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his policy to ensure that micro-generation by persons is encouraged and that particularly where micro-generation is taking place persons have access to the national grid and get paid a fair amount by way of credit on their bills by their electricity supplier; his plans to introduce legislation to change the regulatory regime as many micro-generators of electricity complain about the terms they are offered and the lack of competition in the market for micro-produced solar and wind energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19709/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Energy White Paper published last December sets out a high-level framework for Ireland's energy transition to a low carbon economy and society and identifies a range of measures and actions to support this aim. One key action is to explore the scope to provide market support for micro-generation technologies.

Exploring the scope to provide support for renewable micro-generation will form part of my Department’s on-going analysis to underpin the introduction of a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.

In-depth analysis is now underway to inform the actual costings of a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme. While no decision has been taken on the precise renewable technologies to be supported, the cost and technical viability of a range of renewable technologies is being assessed, including, for example, micro-generation and solar.  

On the question of a tariff payment for energy exported to the grid from micro-generation, I have no statutory function in this matter. I am aware that since February 2009 Electric Ireland has offered a feed-in tariff on a commercial basis to domestic micro-generators. I understand that Electric Ireland decided to close the scheme to new entrants from the end of 2014. More recently, Electric Ireland extended the tariff to their existing customers from the end of 2015 until the end of 2016. To date, no other electricity supplier has chosen to provide such a tariff, to either domestic or commercial customers, although they have been invited to do so by the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER).

On the question of access to the grid, this is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation. Access to the national grid for different types of renewable electricity projects is a key enabler to reaching our national energy and climate change obligations, and I understand that the CER - in its role as the competent authority on this matter - has recently consulted on a Review of Connection and Grid Access Policy , which addressed the question of access to the grid.