Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2020
25. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on improving the level of community ownership of wind farms here; his further views on whether the State should intervene to help support local communities establishing and running their own wind farms which can power their own local energy needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16067/20]
View answerThis question relates to community forms of ownership and delivery of wind energy and what specific measures the Government proposes to advance this unique and significant opportunity in the time ahead.
It is vital that we ensure that community energy can play a role in reaching at least 70% renewable electricity, including a community benefit fund and a community category within the renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction; and that we aim to continue to work with the EU to agree community participation as an integral part of installing new renewable energy and a route for community participation in the projects.
The renewable electricity support scheme, which will support the development of many dozens of renewable projects nationwide over the next decade, includes a separate community category in its first auction to be held later this month. The category is open only to projects that are at least 51% owned by the local community and we understand that some of the projects entering the category are 100% community-owned. The category has a capacity allocation of 30 GW hours, enough to support several projects, both solar and wind.
In future onshore RESS auctions we expect to see increasing numbers of community projects being supported. To ensure a pipeline of such projects we plan to establish an enabling framework of capacity-building supports that will include information dissemination, trusted intermediary and adviser services, feasibility grants, soft development loans and a simplified grid connection process. Together with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, my Department has already commenced planning the development of this enabling framework.
While nurturing a new community energy sector, the vast majority of projects successful in RESS will be larger developer-led projects.
Ensuring local communities benefit from these projects is also a key objective. To that end, all projects successful in RESS must establish a community benefit fund in the annual dispersal of which locals will have a substantive say. My officials are also exploring further community participation in renewable energy projects for future auctions under RESS.
