Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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238. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which alternative non-fossil energy currently fuels electricity generation in Ireland; his plans for the future in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35408/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government confirms that a reliable supply of safe, secure and clean energy is essential in order to deliver a phase-out of fossil fuels. The Government is committed to the rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector and will take the necessary action to deliver at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030.The Table below shows the percentage of electricity generation for each non-fossil (renewable) fuel in 2019.

Percentage of electricity from Renewable Sources (% RES-E)

The Climate Action Plan included a commitment to deliver at least 3.5 GW of offshore wind by 2030, up to 8.2 GW of onshore wind and up to 1.5 GW of solar; the Programme for Government commits to a further increase in offshore wind deployment to 5 GW by 2030. Ireland’s National Energy and Climate Plan (Table 6 of the Plan) sets out estimated trajectories by renewable energy technology in order to achieve the overall and sectoral trajectories for renewable energy from 2021 to 2030.  These technology levels are indicative and for electricity the level of each technology will be driven by technology costs and competitive auctions under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) as well as corporate power purchase agreements.