Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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479. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which various alternatives for generation of electricity can contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gases with particular reference to solar and wind energy; the extent to which these two sources can provide uninterrupted supply in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49395/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The 2014 National Policy Position on Climate Change and 2015 Energy White Paper include ambitious long-term commitments, respectively, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% compared to 1990 levels and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the sector by between 80% and 95% by 2050. Moreover, the Programme for Government sets out that Ireland’s long-term interests are best supported by further decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels through the continued development of renewable electricity generation.

As energy use and greenhouse gas emissions are inextricably linked, meeting this objective will require a radical transformation of Ireland’s energy system from being predominantly fossil-fuel based to a clean, low carbon energy system. It is recognised that certain renewable technologies such as wind and solar may have complementary generation profiles however both solar and wind remain intermittent renewables and therefore the DS3 programme managed by Eirgrid is critical to upping the non-synchronous limit of renewable electricity on the system.

My Department is developing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) which will be designed to assist Ireland in meeting its renewable energy contribution to EU-wide targets out to 2030. The design of the new scheme has included an extensive independent economic appraisal. This appraisal compared the cost of supporting a wide range of commercial renewable technologies, including solar photovoltaics (Solar PV) and both onshore and offshore wind, at various scales including micro-generation, to ensure that the new scheme delivers value for money for energy users whilst also delivering on the energy pillars of sustainability and security of supply. The assessment included analysis of the optimum financial support mechanisms for renewable technologies, in line with the 2014 EU State Aid Guidelines.

A public consultation on the emerging principles of the proposed RESS closed on 10 November. Over 1,250 submissions were received and these will now be reviewed and considered and will inform the final design of the RESS. Following on from this public consultation and review, a final proposal will be brought to Government for approval in early 2018, including the overall costs and technologies to be supported.

At this point no final decisions have been made as regards which technologies will be supported under the new RESS. I welcome and have noted with interest the falling costs of some renewable technologies over the past year, most notably Solar PV and offshore wind.  Increasing renewable technology diversity is one of several policy objectives the new RESS is trying to deliver and falling technology costs may lead to increased diversity of the renewable portfolio over the medium term.