Written answers
Thursday, 25 January 2024
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Electricity Grid
Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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110. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department has plans to assist EirGrid and the ESB in developing a stronger electricity grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3161/24]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity market is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas and not myself as Minister.
The CRU was assigned responsibility for the regulation of the Irish electricity sector following the enactment of the Electricity Regulation Act, 1999 and subsequent legislation.
The CRU is responsible for, inter alia, the economic regulation of the electricity system operators ESB Networks, distribution, and Eirgrid, transmission. The cost of building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system is recovered by system operators through charges on customers, all of which is overseen and agreed with the CRU. System operator spending is agreed with the CRU in five-year cycles, referred to as Price Reviews, with the current review spanning until 2025. Issues regarding the development of the national electricity grid rest with EirGrid and ESB Networks.
In 2023, Eirgrid published an update to Shaping our Electricity Future and ESB Networks published its networks for Net Zero Strategy. Annually, Eirgrid also publish a 10 year Transmission Development Plan, which presents EirGrid’s view of the future electricity transmission network needs, all of which is done under the supervision of the independent regulator, CRU. The network development plan provides CRU with accurate data that allows them to deliver their monitoring obligations for electricity. Furthermore, every year CRU holds a public consultation on EirGrid's Transmission Development Plan. CRU's public consultation gives stakeholders the opportunity to express their views on the Transmission Development Plan.
The CRU, EirGrid and ESB Networks have respective contact email address for Oireachtas members should they wish to raise matters of concern or seek updates on developments to the national electricity grid such as that raised in the question.
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