Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has a forecast for wind energy production in 2023, and for how far it will go in terms of meeting Ireland’s energy needs, given that wind energy production here accounted for 34% of the country’s energy needs in 2022. [9855/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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In Climate Action Plan 2023, Government set an ambitious target of having an 80% share of electricity generation capacity coming from renewable sources by 2030. The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is one of the major Government policies to help Ireland meet that target.

Wind is, by far, the largest contributing source of renewable electricity in Ireland, and is second only to natural gas in terms of electricity generated in Ireland in 2021, as per the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s 2022 Energy in Ireland Report. With approximately 4,403 MW of connected wind generation capacity, we are in the top five globally for installed wind power capacity per capita and it is clear wind will continue to play a vital role in decarbonising the electricity sector as we aim to become carbon neutral by 2050.

The first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction (RESS 1) was held in 2020 and as a result of that pathway being provided for renewable developers, 2022 was a record year for the connection of renewable electricity capacity to the grid. More RESS 1 projects are expected to connect to the grid throughout 2023. The second RESS auction (RESS 2) was held in 2022, with the successful projects in that auction representing a nearly 20% increase on current renewable electricity generation capacity. Projects from RESS 2 will start to connect to the grid between the end of this year and 2025.

Officials in my Department are currently working on progressing the next two RESS auctions, RESS 3 for onshore renewables, and ORESS 1 (Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme) for offshore wind, with both expected to be held later this year.