Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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193. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the percentage share of the average demand from each sector of the electricity market, that is, domestic, non-domestic, medium and large commercial for the 2020-2021 public service obligation levy year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57084/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The PSO levy has been in place since 2001, and is a charge on all electricity customers without exception. The levy funds support schemes designed to facilitate national electricity policy objectives for renewable electricity. The PSO is a vital policy support for the development of renewable electricity and to enable Ireland reach EU renewable energy targets and national energy and climate targets.The legal basis for the PSO levy and its method of calculation are set out in regulations made under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 and the Public Service Obligations Order 2002 (S.I. 217 of 2002). Under this legislation, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the independent electricity and gas regulator, is assigned responsibility for the calculation of the levy each year and the calculation of the Levy is strictly a CRU matter.

The CRU published its annual decision on the amount of the PSO for 2020/2021 in July and it is available at www.cru.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/CRU20086-PSO-Decision-Paper-2020-21.pdf. This describes the calculation of the total PSO and customer charge, including the CRU’s use of the ESB Networks’ 2020/21 PSO Cost Allocation Model for the purposes of determining the levy charge attributable to each customer category under the method in the legislation.

Under the Electricity Regulation Act, the CRU is directly responsible for the performance of its functions to a Joint Committee of the Oireachtas, and not to me as Minister. The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provide a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them raise questions on matters such as the CRU PSO calculation, directly to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.