Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 December 2021
39. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the risk analysis that has been taken regarding the proposed new gas power plants and the liabilities of the State under the energy charter treaty investor provisions. [62272/21]
View answerThe Energy Charter Treaty is a political declaration on international energy cooperation. It is designed to promote energy security through the operation of more open and competitive energy markets, while respecting the principles of sustainable development and sovereignty over energy resources. While there is an investor state dispute settlement mechanism as part of the Energy Charter Treaty, the Court of Justice of the European Union recently ruled that intra-EU arbitrations based on the Energy Charter Treaty violate EU law which significantly limits its use in an Irish context.
The Government's Policy Statement on Security of Electricity Supply sets out that the development of gas-fired generation is a national priority and should be permitted and supported in order to ensure security of electricity supply and support the growth of renewable electricity generation.
The policy statement supports the need to deliver circa 2 GW of new gas-fired generation which is set out in the National Development Plan 2021-2030 and the Climate Action Plan 2021.
The need for this level of new gas-fired generation capacity was identified by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, which has statutory responsibility for security of electricity supply, and EirGrid, the electricity transmission system operator.
While the need for this additional generation is set out in policy by the Government, procuring and/or incentivising its development along with the associated consideration of risk is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities and the Single Electricity Market Committee which oversees the all-island Single Electricity Market.
