Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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454. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when his Department will set a tariff for solar power in respect of the new RESS scheme; if this figure will be higher for up to 500KW as was the case in the REFIT 3 scheme; and his views on whether those that may be requiring a generators grid connection in respect of rooftop solar panels, small scale anaerobic digestion and biomass heating developments will need at least 11 or 12 cent per unit to justify the capital expenditure in order to purchase and install solar panels and to cover the cost of connection to the grid. [11162/18]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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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 range of commercial renewable technologies, at various scales, 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. The 2014 EU State Aid Guidelines set the framework and extent of financial support options for national renewable electricity (RES-E) support schemes. In general and except for small scale and demonstration projects, RES-E support levels must be set through competitive bidding processes (renewable electricity auctions) and all new RES-E schemes should provide support in the form of a premium in addition to the market price.

Following on from the RESS public consultation and review, a final design proposal will be brought to Government for approval in the coming months, including the overall costs and technologies to be supported. Subsequent to a Government decision, a formal application for State Aid clearance from the European Commission will commence. The new scheme is expected to open in 2019.

At this stage no final decisions have been made as regards which technologies or scales will be supported under the new RESS.

The regulation of the electricity network (including the management of the grid connection process) is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which is an independent statutory body and I have no function in the matter.