Written answers

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Electricity Generation

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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71. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the requirement in terms of daily electricity use here; the extent to which he expects to be in a position to avail of the economic benefit associated with locally generated electricity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16208/20]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is an auction-based scheme which invites renewable electricity projects to compete for a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate. The first of these renewable electricity auctions (RESS-1) will take place on the 21 July. There will be a series of auctions up to 2030 to deliver on Ireland's renewable electricity target of at least 70% by 2030.

A Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is examining an enabling framework which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments. The proposed support mechanism will be outlined in a public consultation in Q3 2020.

The Programme for Government, "Our Shared Future", recognises the importance of community involvement in energy. Specifically the Programme for Government commits to:

- Ensuring that community energy can play a role in reaching at least 70% renewable electricity, including a community benefit fund and a community category within the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction;

- Continuing to work with the EU to agree community participation as an integral part of installing new renewable energy and a route for community participation in the projects; and

- Prioritising the development of micro-generation, letting people sell excess power back to the grid by June 2021.

Locally generated or community energy is one of the corner-stone policies of the Programme for Government. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme includes a separate community category in its first auction to be held later this month. The category is open only to projects that are at least 51% owned by the local community; my Department understands that some of the projects entering the category are 100% community-owned. The category has a capacity allocation of 30 gigawatt hours, enough to support several projects, both solar and wind.

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