Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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222. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if homeowners or businesses which use solar panels and provide surplus electricity to the grid will receive a payment for their contribution; the estimated timeline for such payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16637/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The introduction of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro-and small-scale generators in Ireland which allows them to receive payment from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value of the electricity. The CEG became available upon the transposition of Article 21 of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) into Irish law on 15 February 2022, to both new and existing micro and small-scale generators.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a decision on an interim enabling framework for the CEG which outlines the interim arrangements for implementation including eligibility criteria and remuneration methodology. The CRU has decided that suppliers will set their individual CEG tariffs on a competitive market basis. Some suppliers have advertised their CEG tariff rates and the CRU is advising micro-generators to contact their supplier for further details.

The CRU is not setting a date or deadline for the timing of the first payment. You can expect an initial payment or credit from your supplier within a reasonable time after June 2022. The CRU has asked suppliers to communicate their decision on when initial CEG payments will be made – at the earliest opportunity. The supplier may offer back-payments in the form of a credit to customers accounts, if this approach is considered to be the most appropriate. The CRU also expects back-payments to be communicated clearly to customers of each supplier.

Furthermore, a tax disregard of €200 was introduced in Budget 2021 in respect of personal income received by households who sell residual renewable electricity, which they generate, back to the grid.