Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

123. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the breakdown in the use of biomass for electricity generation. [38272/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

124. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current level of solar activity. [38273/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

125. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the projected solar activity by 2030. [38274/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

126. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current level of hydroelectric activity. [38275/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

127. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the projected hydroelectric activity by 2030. [38276/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

128. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current level of renewable energy generated by wind, broken down by onshore and offshore. [38277/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

129. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment of projected level of renewable energy generate by wind by 2030, broken down by onshore and offshore. [38278/23]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

131. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current installed capacity of wind power, broken down by commercial and domestic production. [38282/23]

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

159. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will provide an update on the Government’s plans to develop solar power as part of Ireland’s 2030 targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38672/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 131 and 159 together.

Ireland has made considerable progress in decarbonising our electricity sector, with a major driver for this being the construction of renewable generation projects and their successful integration onto the electricity grid.

2022 was a record year for renewable generation capacity being connected to the grid. The below table sets out the estimated generation capacity for the requested renewable sources.

Under the Climate Action Plan 2023, Government has committed to Ireland achieving 80% of electricity demand from renewable sources and to reach at least 22 GW of installed renewable electricity generation capacity by 2030. The below table sets out the targeted generation capacity for the requested renewable sources.

There are no specific targets for hydroelectric or biomass generation.

The Government schemes to help deliver these targets are as follows:

• The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main policy to deliver the onshore renewable electricity generation capacity targets. Projects with a combined capacity 2.8 GW (onshore wind and solar PV) were successful in the first two RESS auctions. The third auction will be held shortly.
• The recent Offshore RESS (ORESS) is the policy to deliver the offshore targets. The recent ORESS1 auction surpassed all expectations, securing an enormous volume of renewable electricity, over 3 GW. This was the first in a series of auctions to procure at least 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030.
• Onshore and Offshore RESS auctions will continue in line with the published RESS Auction Calendar.
• The Micro-Generation Support Scheme (MSS) allows domestic and non-domestic applicants to receive funding to produce and consume their own electricity.
• The Small-Scale RESS (SRESS) will support renewable electricity generators who are too large for the MSS but too small for the RESS and will provide a similar route to market for community projects. The high-level design of the new Small-Scale RESS (SRESS) was approved by Government a few weeks ago and the scheme is expected to be launched later this year.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

130. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current installed capacity of solar, broken down by commercial and domestic production. [38281/23]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Ireland currently has approximately 5.2 GW of renewable generation capacity connected to the grid. While the majority of this, circa 4.5 GW, is onshore wind, solar generation is a growing source of electricity and is rapidly transforming Ireland's energy system. There is now over 700 MW of solar generation in Ireland and continued delivery of this technology at scale will be critical to meeting our renewable energy and climate targets.

ESB Networks manages grid connections for solar installations, and records the capacity, as of June 2023, for the following forms of solar PV installations:

-Grid Scale Solar PV plants: 381 MW

-Mini & Small-Scale Generation: 7.4 MW

-Microgeneration: 205 MW

Microgeneration capacity includes both domestic and commercial applications, the most recent figures available do not distinguish between domestic and commercial, these will be available from ESBN shortly.