The recently published Climate Action Plan 2019 sets out for the first time how Ireland will reach its 2030 targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and put Ireland on the right trajectory towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
In relation to the electricity generation sector, the Plan sets a target to achieve a 70% share of renewable electricity by 2030 and includes a number of actions to deliver this target, such as regulatory streamlining of renewables and grid development, development of the offshore renewables sector, implementation of the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, and development of an enabling framework for micro-generation. The Plan also commits Ireland to fully exit from peat and coal for electricity generation in the next decade.
According to Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland data, the renewable electricity share of gross final consumption of electricity in 2018 was 33.3%, an increase from the figure of 30.1% in 2017. Wind contributed 28.2% of this share.
Budget 2020 provides additional funding in 2020 for programmes delivered by my Department to support the development and deployment of a range of renewable energy technologies:
- €3.7m to support installation of solar panels on homes
- €9.7m to support emerging technologies which harness the power of the Ireland's ocean resources and research into how we can move away from fossil fuels, while ensuring energy security
- €5m to support the uptake of alternative fuels such as biomass in the heat sector.
