Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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59. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the changes that have taken place to the electricity market rules in order to enable micro-generated electricity to be sold to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42497/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government commits to expanding and incentivising micro-generation to help people generate renewable electricity for their own use and sell excess electricity back to the grid. Under the Climate Action Plan, a Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is developing an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments.

My Department outlined proposals for a new Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) in a public consultation that closed on 18 February last. A summary report of the submissions received has been published on my Department's website.

While the primary aim of a micro-generation scheme is to enable a household to meet its own electricity needs, it is envisaged that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all renewables self-consumers later this year, subject to regulatory arrangements, and in line with transposition of Articles 21 and 22 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.

It is expected that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities will publish a draft framework in the coming weeks which will outline the details, including eligibility criteria and timescales for introduction, of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) payment for exported renewable electricity. This framework will introduce an obligation on all electricity suppliers to offer remuneration to their customers, by way of a CEG payment, for excess renewable electricity exported to the grid by eligible micro- and small-scale generators. This would give effect to the above-mentioned Articles of the Directive and allow for the commencement of export payments to micro- and small-scale generators, by their suppliers.