Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 November 2015
67. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason for the delay in publishing the White Paper on energy; if there will be a policy shift toward maximising all renewables to meet our Europe 2020 renewable targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39035/15]
View answerCould the Minister explain the delay in publishing the White Paper on energy? Will there be a policy shift towards maximising all renewables to meet our Europe 2020 renewables target, and will he make a statement on the matter?
The overarching objective of the Government's energy policy is to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of competitively priced energy to all consumers. A new energy White Paper, which my Department is currently in the process of finalising, will set out Ireland’s energy policy up to 2030, framed in the context of broader EU energy policy as articulated in both the energy union strategy and the EU's Framework 2030 for coherent climate and energy policies. The overall objective of the energy White Paper is to provide a coherent, joined-up policy statement aimed at ensuring that Ireland has an energy system that will support the transition to a low-carbon society and economy by 2050. While a range of measures will be needed to support this transition, including the increased use of renewable energy, we have already made significant progress, with an estimated 22.7% of electricity generated from renewable sources in 2014. The Government remains committed to implementing measures to achieve Ireland's 2020 renewable energy targets.
The White Paper process started with a Green Paper on energy policy in Ireland, published in May 2014. An extensive consultation process was undertaken on this Green Paper, including a ten-week written consultation process, resulting in 1,240 submissions, and 11 focused seminars nationwide. This provided significant opportunity for the public, business and industry to have an input into the policy development process.
This consultation was augmented by discussions between my Department and other Departments aimed at ensuring a whole-of-Government approach to the development of the energy White Paper. I intend to bring the energy White Paper to Government for approval before the end of the year.
As regards the energy White Paper and all the possible renewables, how far down the line are solar panels and how integrated is solar panel farming? There is currently only one such unit on the island of Ireland, which is in County Down, although there is planning permission for a number of others throughout the country. How integrated is that process?
Last week, I asked about the status of guidelines on wind energy from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The former Department was committed to having those new guidelines in place in the summer of 2014, but it is now winter 2015 and there is no trace of them. Has the energy White Paper taken community consensus into account?
How satisfied is the Minister with the information coming from various stakeholders, given that EirGrid got it so badly wrong in terms of pylons and the Grid West and Grid Link projects? Last week at the committee meeting they completely backtracked after putting the fear of God into communities the length and breadth of the country. I would like to hear the Minister's comments on those three issues.
I certainly envisage that solar energy will be an important element of our renewables portfolio into the future. In addition to the White Paper, which is the high-level policy document, we are also in a consultation process in respect of a new REFIT regime and looking at appropriate subsidies for technologies such as solar panels so that we can have a mix. Onshore wind energy generation has proved to be very cost-effective, but it is not the whole story concerning renewables. We have to look carefully, clearly and responsibly at all new technologies, some of which are emerging while others are more advanced. Solar is one, absolutely, and it will feature in our future renewable energy policy. In addition, we have taken a lot of interest in research on offshore wind energy and what we can do in the biomass sector also.
The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, dealt with the issue of guidelines during Question Time last week. There needs to be community consensus and that will be a chapter in the White Paper, which we are close to finalising and bringing to Government.
Perhaps the Minister can update me on the opinion of his ministerial colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, and when those new planning guidelines will be in place. Should there not be a moratorium until the new planning guidelines take effect?
I understand wave energy technology has developed considerably. What aspects of the White Paper will refer to wave energy? Has the Department or have the various stakeholders looked into the issue of biomass at Moneypoint or the future of Moneypoint as a power generation station? This is in the light of what happened in the United Kingdom where the Drax power station was converted and is now completely biomass fuelled.
I ask the Minister to update me on those matters, especially the planning guidelines. Where are they at and what is the position on biomass? How far advanced is our wave energy in view of the fact that we are nearly at saturation point in terms of wind energy generation at the moment?
I respectfully refer the Deputy to the response of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, some days ago in the House in respect of the guidelines.
The Deputy referred to renewable energy. The options include solar, biomass and offshore wind. A range of technologies are coming down the tracks. Some are at a higher level of development than others but they will all feature. There will be a good discussion and treatment of these issues in the White Paper.
We have to transition to a low-carbon economy and we need to do so by 2050. That is the ambition we have set ourselves. The Deputy may recall that recently the G7 held out the aspiration to have a carbon-free world by the end of this century. I believe this is a correct aspiration and an appropriate one. That is the measure of the ambition that all of us need to look to for our children and grandchildren. We need to decarbonise. The energy policy I am responsible for will align with that ambitious target. The first targets, though, are those we must comply with by 2020. We have made good progress, particularly on the electricity side, but we need to make more progress on heat and transport.
The White Paper will have high level treatment of the plans for 2030 out to 2050.
What about wave energy?
