Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
198. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to consider diversifying Ireland’s renewable energy portfolio by incentivising the take-up of solar and biomass energy to meet our 2020 renewables targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16272/16]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to facilitate the development of solar energy projects and to support the development of a sustainable bio-energy sector in Ireland. This commitment builds on similar such commitments in the Energy White Paper published in December 2015 which set out a long-term vision to develop Ireland’s diverse and indigenous renewable energy resources in a cost effective manner.
It is widely acknowledged that no single technology will enable Ireland to meet our renewable energy or climate change objectives. Provisional data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) indicate that Ireland had reached 9.2% of the overall 16% renewable energy target at the end of 2015. This renewable energy mix was made up of wind, biomass, solar thermal, hydro generation, biogas, landfill gas, and waste-to-energy.
Work is under way to examine the design and cost of introducing a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) that will encourage the continued diversification of our renewable energy portfolio in the electricity sector. This scheme will examine the viability of supporting a range of new renewable energy technologies in Ireland, including solar photovoltaic (PV) and biomass generation.
At the same time, detailed economic analysis is underway in my Department to develop a Renewable Heat Incentive in Ireland. This support scheme will examine the potential to diversify the use of renewable technologies in the heating sector, and the use of biomass is being considered as part of this process.
