Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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170. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of the €300 billion approved by the European Union to accelerate the green transition that will be available to Ireland; if it is a competitive process; and if his Department has identified projects which could avail of this fund. [57259/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The European Commission published the RePowerEU plan in May. This is a plan to rapidly reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels and accelerate the green transition. While the Commission announced an overall package of €300bn, the plan proposes the provision of an additional €20 billion in grant funding to be made available through the existing Recovery and Resilience Facility to finance investment in diversifying the energy mix of EU Member States. Further funding is available primarily through additional loans under the Recovery and Resilience Facility. In October, EU Finance Ministers reached agreement at ECOFIN on the Council’s position on the RePowerEU proposal, including the allocation of grant funding among EU Member States. Ireland would be able to apply for additional grants worth circa €90m under the proposed methodology.

The Council agreement allows negotiations to commence with the European Parliament, with the European legislation necessary to provide for such funding not expected to come into force until early 2023.

At that point, Ireland can choose to update its National Recovery and Resilience Plan to include a RePowerEU chapter and projects eligible for any additional grant funding that may be available, taking account of Commission guidance due to be published next year.

In the interim, my Department is considering potential proposals for funding under this mechanism with the Departments of Public Expenditure and Reform and Finance. Similar to the development of Ireland's current National Recovery and Resilience Plan, funding decisions are a matter for Government.

I would note that Ireland’s current National Recovery and Resilience Plan, supported by circa €915m in grants, was approved by the European Commission and the Council in 2021, and is currently being implemented. The objective of the plan is to contribute to a sustainable, equitable, green and digital recovery effort, in a manner that complements and supports the Government’s broader recovery efforts.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way that persons with a domestic turbine can feed access energy into the grid; and the way that households that have been feeding energy into the grid for a period of time can receive payment for same. [57265/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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On 15 February this year I signed the Regulations that create an obligation on all suppliers to offer the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff to new and existing micro-and small-scale generators so that they will receive payment for excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value.The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a Decision on an interim enabling framework for the CEG which outlines the arrangements for its implementation, including eligibility criteria and remuneration methodology - details are provided at the attached link  Remuneration of Renewables Self-consumers for exported electricity - Commission for Regulation of Utilities (cru.ie) Micro-Generators who wish to become eligible should register for an export grid connection from ESB Networks (details are provided at the attached link ) and have a smart meter installed, where applicable.

The CRU has decided that suppliers will set their individual CEG tariffs on a competitive market basis. Payments will be backdated to the date of eligibility or the 15th February 2022 (the date the regulations were enacted), whichever is the latest.  

The CRU has asked suppliers to communicate their decision to their customers on when initial CEG payments will be made at the earliest opportunity. The CRU advises customers to contact their supplier to obtain information on their suppliers' CEG tariff arrangements.  

It is important to note that a key aspect of the eligibility criteria for the CEG is that microgenerators must meet the definition for ‘renewables self-consumers', as per the Renewable Energy Directive. This places a focus on generating electricity for one's own consumption and thereafter with an entitlement to receive remuneration for excess electricity fed into the grid.