Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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97. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the renewable heat incentive; if he has received clearance to proceed with the scheme in the context of state aid rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29486/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The introduction of a Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is a commitment in the Programme for Government.  The aim of the RHI is to build on the progress already made in the renewable heating sector and to help reach Ireland’s 12% target by 2020. Provisional data indicates that 6.6% of heat demand was derived from renewable sources in 2016.

My Department has undertaken a detailed economic assessment on the design and cost of the RHI for the industrial/commercial sector in Ireland.  This assessment included a range of renewable energy technologies and focused on large commercial and industrial heat users in the non-Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

The final public consultation on the design and implementation of the new RHI closed in March 2017 and 119 submissions were reviewed by my Department. The findings from this public consultation are being used to help inform final decisions in relation to the scheme.  At this stage, the overall costs, technologies to be supported and design of a scheme are still under consideration and will require Government decision and State aid clearance from the European Commission.