John Clendennen (Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

130. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government how an increase in microgeneration is being achieved in line with the national energy demand strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30317/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government originally approved the high-level design for the Micro-Generation Support Scheme (MSS) on the 21st of December 2021, as a means of supporting 380MW of new micro-generation capacity by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan.??This would generate over 300 GWh of renewable electricity per annum, with the potential to abate 1.4 million tonnes of CO2eq over the lifetime of the installations. This amounts to 60,000 homes and 9,000 non-domestic installations, such as small farms and businesses, schools and community groups.

The national energy demand strategy is a CRU strategy for delivering the key regulatory measures necessary to allow all energy system users to benefit from a more flexible energy system. However, Government’s Climate Action Plan sets the overall strategy for energy demand management policy, including microgeneration targets

Under the Climate Action Plan 2024, the target for installed micro-generation capacity (≤ 50 kW) has been expanded to 1.6 GW by 2030.

Since 2021, the MSS has supported installation of Solar PV for over 76,000 homes (end March 2025)

ESBN estimate that micro-generators provided more than 300MW of generation capacity by the end of 2023 (compared to approx. 138MW by the end of 2022). As of the end of March 2025, there was 539 MW of micro-generation capacity connected to the grid, along with an additional 85 MW of mini and small-scale (NC7/8) energised capacity.