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Renewable Energy Exports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Questions (440)

Willie Penrose

Question:

440. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to a statement made in October 2013 by United Kingdom Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Mr. Greg Barker MP, that there are enough wind projects in the system, there is no requirement for anymore onshore expansion and the big expansion for same should be offshore where there is scope for larger projects and whereby, with the projects in the system and under consideration in the planning process, they had enough to achieve their 2020 targets; in this context, if he will clarify the impact of this statement on the intergovernmental agreement, IGA, on export of wind-derived electricity to the United Kingdom; given that the IGA is still in the process of being evaluated, if he will also clarify the scope of the associated cost basis analysis in terms of cost and revenue elements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55242/13]

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Written answers

In January 2013 the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Mr. Edward Davey MP, and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding on energy cooperation. That Memorandum sent a strong signal of our shared interest in developing the opportunity to export green electricity from Ireland to Britain. A programme of work is underway to establish if it is mutually beneficial for Ireland and the UK to enter an Intergovernmental Agreement in 2014 to facilitate such renewable energy trading. Ultimately this is likely to be decided based on the economic advantage accruing to both countries. The discussions are handled by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. I understand that Mr Barker M.P. is no longer minister for Energy.

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