Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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197. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to report on the number of new grid connections in 2022, in q1 2023 and in q2 2023 for renewable energy per source, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35291/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the key Government policy to support the deployment of onshore renewable generation projects at scale. The successes of the first two onshore RESS auctions meant that 2022 was a record year for renewable electricity generation connections to the grid in Ireland.

In 2022, an additional 330 MW of onshore wind, 370 MW of solar, and 80 MW of battery storage were connected to the grid. While over the first half of 2023, circa 90 MW of onshore wind, 10 MW of solar, and circa 75 MW of battery storage capacity were connected to the grid.

The second half of 2023 is expected to have significantly larger amounts of renewable connected to the grid, as the remaining RESS 1 projects reach their final milestone and early RESS 2 projects connect as well as delivery of projects under Corporate Power Purchase Agreements.