Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 October 2018
206. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the combined electricity generating capacity of solar energy farms for which planning permission has been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41506/18]
View answerThe question regarding planning permission is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government and I have no function in this area. Planning applications for solar farms are generally made to the relevant local planning authority with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála.
However, from a grid connection application perspective, the most recent data indicates that at present, there are 682 solar applications at the distributional level (DSO) and 36 solar applications at the transmission level (TSO), at various stages in the grid connection application process. These applications amount to 4,770 Megawatts and 2,110 Megawatts respectively or 6,880 Megawatts in total. These would be at various stages of the planning application process.
