Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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399. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which he has made comparisons with the development of non-fossil fuels for the generation of electricity in other jurisdictions as a means of identifying likely progress here in the future in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29062/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In the Climate Action Plan I have set a target of 70% for renewable electricity by 2030, to make Ireland a leader in responding to climate change. Analysis and modelling to underpin the Plan had regard to Marginal Abetment Cost Curve analysis and comparative international data. The Plan identifies a range of technical, regulatory, legislative and economic factors that arise in going to this figure. The impact on the costs of electricity, affordability for consumers and business competitiveness of setting higher renewable electricity targets also has to be considered.

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is being designed to deliver on our commitments to decarbonise our electricity grid, harness our natural resources and bring renewable energy into the heart of our communities. The RESS has been informed by detailed analysis of international renewable energy schemes in particular regarding technology costs, auction design and the community framework. The Community Framework that underpins the RESS design is based on international studies of community support for renewable energy covering Canada, Denmark, Scotland and Germany.

Moreover the Climate Plan sets out a suite of actions to boost renewable source of electricity generation including an augmented RESS design through the inclusion of specific support for offshore wind in the RESS design to deliver the scale of renewables required to decarbonise our electricity system as has been the case in other jurisdictions. Other key measures to foster renewable energy set out in the Plan have been informed by best practice in other jurisdictions including microgeneration, corporate power purchase agreements, hybrid grid connections and offshore grid models.

Through Ireland’s participation in EU led initiatives on renewable energy as well as the International Energy Agency, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the North Seas Energy Group, my Department and our agencies are participating in the development of policies to support renewable energy and applying international best practice in Ireland. As an example, EirGrid’s ambitious multi-year programme, Delivering a Secure, Sustainable Electricity System (DS3), has already made us a world leader in the management of intermittent forms of renewable electricity, with levels of instantaneous wind penetration reaching levels of 65% and above.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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401. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of electricity being generated through non-fossil fuels excluding hydro but including wind, biomass, solar and or others including wave energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29064/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have estimated that, in 2018, approximately 9,289 GWh of electricity was generated in total from non-fossil fuels (excluding hydro) and this represented on a normalised basis 30.8% of gross final consumption of electricity. In the All of Government Climate Action Plan which I have recently launched, Ireland will be stepping up ambition in the renewable electricity sector with a target of 70% of our electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2030. This will require significant changes to the operation and management of the electricity grid, to integrate wind and solar energy at scale. Indicative targets set out in the Climate Plan for non-fossil fuel technologies are at least 3.5 GW of offshore renewable energy, up to 1.5 GW of grid scale solar energy and up to 8.2 GW of onshore wind energy by 2030.