Written answers

Tuesday, 20 September 2022

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Renewable Energy Generation

Photo of Darren O'RourkeDarren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to Parliamentary Question No. 146 of 8 September 2022, if he will confirm that 3,678.966MW of renewable energy production is contracted under the renewable energy feed in tariff schemes, and is therefore not obliged to refund the Public Service Obligations if the wholesale electricity price is higher than the REFIT reference price, while just 633.48MW of renewable energy is contracted under the renewable electricity support scheme, and is therefore obliged to refund the Public Service Obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45402/22]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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3,678.66 MW of renewable energy production under the Renewable Energy Feed In Tariff (REFIT) Schemes is eligible for support under the Public Service Obligation. The last REFIT schemes closed in December 2015. In 2020, REFIT was replaced by the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The REFIT contracts do not have a requirement to make payments to the PSO when the wholesale electricity price is higher than the REFIT reference price. 1,088MW of renewable energy was contracted under the first RESS auction (RESS-1), of which 1,022MW remains in the scheme. This total includes both projects still progressing towards commencing generation in 2022 or at the latest by the end of 2023, and those that have commenced generation already.

The most recent RESS 2 auction is expected to deliver an additional increase of nearly 20% to Ireland’s renewable energy generation. 80 projects were initially successful in RESS 2 and are expected to lead to 300 MW of wind and almost 1,500 MW of solar in 2024/25

RESS projects are required, as part of the RESS contract, to make payments to the PSO when the wholesale electricity price is greater than their RESS strike price. 629 MW of  RESS capacity is due to make payments to consumers under the PSO for 2022/23 amounting to €313 million.Last Wednesday the European Commission published a proposal for a Council Regulation on an emergency intervention to address high energy prices. This proposal will assist Government in determining whether and, if so, how a windfall tax and other interventions could be introduced. Such an intervention will address the situation where energy companies, including projects on REFIT contracts, are receiving windfall gains due to increased wholesale gas prices. Officials from my Department continue to work with colleagues across Government on this issue.  

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