Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is Ireland’s flagship policy to deliver on the Governments target of up to 80% renewable electricity by the end of the decade. The first RESS auction for onshore wind and solar projects was held in 2020 and the second RESS auction process has begun with the qualification application window having closed in January and the auction is scheduled to take place in May. Design of the RESS 3 onshore auction is also currently under development and my Department is also finalising the terms and conditions on the first of three planned auctions this decade for the offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS).

The Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS), approved by Government on 21 December 2021, will provide capital grants for new domestic and small non-domestic installations. Businesses, including farms, who install new larger installations can avail of a Clean Export Premium tariff which will provide a fixed tariff for 15 years for electricity exported to the grid. The scheme design will be published shortly however the phased introduction of supports commenced in February with the transition of the domestic solar PV grant scheme. In addition to this, a tax disregard of €200 was introduced in Budget 2021 in respect of personal income received by households who sell residual renewable electricity they generate back to the grid.

My Department is also developing a support scheme for small-scale generators, i.e. above 50kW but smaller than those supported by the RESS, which will be progressed in 2022 and is expected to become available in 2023. This scheme will enable larger businesses, farms and community projects to maximise their participation in the energy transition.

Other financial supports available for renewable energy projects include tax-based incentives for the development of renewable technologies such as the Accelerated Capital Allowances Scheme and the Employment and Investment Incentive as well as improvements for farm enterprises supported by the Department for Agriculture, Food and Marine, under the Pig and Poultry Investment Scheme as part of the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS). All of the above schemes help incentivise the delivery of renewable energy projects in order to meet our up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030 target.