I propose to take Questions Nos. 314 and 321 together.
The Programme for Government commits to facilitate the development of energy cooperatives to make it easier for small scale renewable energy providers to contribute to our renewable targets. The involvement of local community participants in renewable energy projects has been advocated as a means to progress the uptake of renewable energy and promote local community acceptance of large scale renewable energy projects. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has carried out work to assess the scope for community involvement.
A study funded by SEAI and by the Western Development Commission investigated the potential for communities to benefit from the establishment of wind farms in their region. This report concluded that communities are likely to encounter significant resource difficulties if they attempt to develop 100% community owned wind energy projects, given the considerable technical and financial challenges facing developers. The levels of risk and uncertainty appear to be too high for a community group to enter a development on their own.
A key finding of the Report however was that the most promising investment option for community based groups would be to participate in commercial projects once such projects have secured the requisite consents and contracts for scale of electricity. The SEAI is working closely with the International Energy Agency to develop best practice guidelines for social acceptance of wind farms including in that context guidelines for facilitating investment by communities in local wind farms.
