Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
153. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the microgeneration scheme will be introduced; the reason for the delay in introducing this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41126/21]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to expanding and incentivising micro-generation, including solar-PV, to help citizens, farms and businesses generate renewable electricity for their own use and to sell any excess electricity back to the grid. Under the Climate Action Plan, a Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is developing an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments.While the primary aim of a micro-generation scheme is to enable a household to meet its own electricity needs, it is envisaged that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all renewables self-consumers in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory arrangements, in line with Articles 21 and 22 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (RED II).It is expected that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) will publish a draft framework later this year which will outline the details, including eligibility criteria and timescales for introduction, of the Clean Export Guarantee payment for exported renewable electricity, to give effect to the above-mentioned articles and allow for the commencement of export payments to micro- and small-scale generators.My Department is working closely with the CRU to progress the implementation of the Clean Export Guarantee, which is dependent on the transposition of RED II and Directive (EU) 2019/944 on common rules for the internal market for electricity, which establish the renewables self-consumer model of electricity generation. My Department is working to transpose these provisions into Irish law as soon as possible.
