Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 January 2022
182. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the position regarding the roll-out of the clean export premium; the date the required payment mechanism will be determined by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3430/22]
View answerOn the 21st December 2021 the Government approved the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS). The Government is developing a framework of supports to enable homes, businesses, farms and communities to install renewable generation for their own consumption and receive a payment for any residual electricity they export to the grid. Micro-generation has an important role to play in empowering and driving engagement and participation. It creates opportunities for domestic, community, farming and small commercial customers to take the first steps towards investment in renewable technologies, which can play a role in shaping electricity demand and decarbonising homes and businesses.The MSS is targeting support for 380MW of installed micro-generation capacity, to contribute to the target of up to 2.5GW of solar renewables under the Climate Action Plan. Depending on panel size, that equates to over 1 million solar panels, on approximately 70,000 buildings.Non-domestic applicants will be eligible to receive the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff, for any exported electricity, at a competitive market rate from their electricity supplier. Projects between 6kW and 50kW will receive a Clean Export Premium (CEP) tariff per kWh exported, for a period of 15 years, from their electricity supplier. The CEP will be €0.135/kWh in 2022, which is higher than the current average wholesale electricity price. Any difference between the CEP tariff and wholesale electricity prices will be supported by the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy. Exported volumes of electricity eligible for the Clean Export Premium (CEP) tariff will be capped at 80% of generation capacity to incentivise self-consumption.It is expected that the Clean Export Premium (CEP) will commence in the third quarter of 2022, when a payment mechanism will be determined by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).
