Responsibility for the regulation of the electricity and gas markets, including the operation of the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy, is a matter for the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), which is an independent statutory body.
The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy is charged to all electricity customers. It is designed to support the national policy objectives of security of energy supply, the use of indigenous fuels (i.e. peat) and the use of renewable energy sources in electricity generation, as set out in legislation. The proceeds of the levy are used to recoup, inter alia, the additional costs incurred by electricity suppliers in sourcing, and ESB Power Generation producing, a proportion of their electricity from such generators.
Section 39 of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 sets out the legal basis for the PSO levy in Ireland. Statutory Instrument No. 217 of 2002 made under Section 39 of the Electricity Regulation Act requires that the CER calculates and certifies the costs associated with the PSO and sets the associated levy for the required period. The PSO levy takes into account the estimated and actual costs incurred in undertaking generation activities which are covered in the relevant PSO legislation. Articles 8 and 9 of Statutory Instrument 217 of 2002 set out the methodology of the calculation of the components of the PSO levy and the estimation of the amount of the PSO levy by the CER.
The specific information requested by the Deputy (including the various breakdowns and historical data) is publicly available on the CER website at the following link:
http://www.cer.ie/en/renewables-decision-documents.aspx.
