Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 July 2022
207. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will remove or greatly increase the €200 tax exemption on payments received by domestic micro-generators from their suppliers under the clean export guarantee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38923/22]
View answerThe Micro-generation support scheme provides funding to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for capital grants for solar PV for domestic houses. Micro-generators will benefit most when they maximise the consumption of electricity on site from their own micro-generation. In addition, excess electricity can be diverted to a hot water cylinder to reduce fossil fuel consumption in the house. Any residual electricity generated but not consumed can be exported to the grid.
On the 15 February this year I signed the Regulations that create an obligation on suppliers to offer the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff to new and existing micro-and small-scale generators so that they will receive payment for excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value.
Micro-generators who wish to become eligible should register for an export grid connection from ESB Networks and have a smart meter where applicable (see Smart Meter Upgrade FAQs (esbnetworks.ie)). More information on the Commission for Regulation of Utilities’ (CRU) interim enabling framework for the CEG, including eligibility criteria and remuneration methodology, is available here: Clean Export Tariff - Commission for Regulation of Utilities (cru.ie)
I understand that over 32,000 micro- and small-scale generators have successfully registered for the CEG tariff and are already accruing credit for their exported electricity which will be backdated to the date of eligibility or the 15th February 2022, whichever is the latest.
In budget 2022, the Minister for Finance announced an exemption from income taxes for remuneration from the CEG for domestic consumers, up to a maximum of €200 per annum. Whilst this is expected to cover the majority of annual remuneration from the CEG tariff in 2022, this will be kept under review as the scheme develops.
