Written answers
Thursday, 9 November 2023
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Wind Energy Generation
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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173. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the new wind energy onshore projects to come on stream this year; the amount of energy they will generate; the number of wind energy projects in the pipeline for coming on stream in each year until 2030; the total wind energy projects that received full planning in each of the past five years and to date in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49160/23]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The latest updates provided to my Department by ESB Networks and EirGrid indicate that approximately 250MW of new wind energy projects have or will be connected to the electricity this year across 7 projects.
In terms of future projected connections, over 400 MW of wind projects were successful in the second Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auction (RESS) with expected delivery to take place between 2024 and 2025. A further 148 MW of wind energy projects were successful in the RESS 3 auction and will be expected to delivery between 2026 and 2027.
RESS is one the primary Government policies for facilitating the deployment of renewables including onshore wind and future RESS auctions will in part determine the pipeline of wind energy projects beyond 2027.
The RESS 3 auction volumes underpin the need for a much stronger pipeline of onshore wind and solar projects coming through the grid connection and permitting processes. They also highlight the urgent and critical need for greater alignment between local plans and renewable energy targets to support investment in, and delivery of, renewable energy projects.
The details of planning permissions for wind energy projects is primarily a matter for local authorities and An Bord Pleanala.
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