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Renewable Energy Generation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 December 2021

Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Questions (56)

Holly Cairns

Question:

56. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of community-led renewable energy projects operational in the country; the number which come under any other State-backed scheme broken down by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59395/21]

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Written answers

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is the main Government policy to help deliver on the ambition in the Climate Action Plan 2021 of up to 80% renewable electricity by 2030. The RESS supports communities in a variety of ways including through a separate category for community projects and a mandatory community benefit fund for every project supported in the scheme. Prior to RESS there was only one community-led renewable electricity project in operation – Templederry Community Wind farm in Tipperary.  The community category in the first RESS auction selected seven projects for support which are listed in the table below:

Project Name

Location

Ballytobin (Solar)

Co. Kilkenny

Barnderg (Solar)

Co. Galway

Clooncon (Wind)

Co. Galway

Davidstown (Solar)

Co. Wexford

Dooleeg (Wind)

Co. Mayo

Lisduff (Solar)

Co. Mayo

Lurrig (Solar)

Co. Cork

The Climate Action Plan includes a target for at least 500MW of renewable electricity to be supplied by local community-based projects; to reach this target at least 100 community projects will be needed. In order to ensure such a pipeline of community projects I have allocated €2 million in capital funding in Budget 2022 for the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). This funding will enable SEAI to deploy a range of capacity-building supports including an information warehouse, trusted intermediary and advisor services, and financial grant supports all of which are vital to support community-owned RESS projects in being built. Some of this framework of supports is already in place with additional elements to be delivered in early 2022.

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