Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
147. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he is taking to address curtailment of renewable energy on the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10137/24]
View answerCurtailment refers to the reduction in output of generation units because of system wide issues. Curtailment is one element of dispatch down, which also includes constraint, local issues, and oversupply, generation exceeding demand. Manging dispatch down is a priority as we seek to integrate more renewable electricity onto the grid. As Transmission System Operator, EirGrid have responsibility for the management of dispatch down and development of the transmission system.
In July 2023, EirGrid published an update to Shaping our Electricity Future, their roadmap for the transmission grid out to 2030 to deliver on the renewable energy targets. This roadmap includes plans for reinforcements, upgrades, and new infrastructure across the country. The grid needs to be stronger and more flexible to accommodate wind and solar generation which is technically very different to burning fossil fuels to produce power. The roadmap also sets out EirGrid’s plans to evolve operation of the power system in the period to 2030 as well as electricity market recommendations.
EirGrid is independent of me as Minister and operate under the supervision of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), which is an independent regulator, accountable to a committee of the Oireachtas. The CRU have responsibility for, inter alia, the regulation of the electricity market and the economic regulation of the electricity system operators, including EirGrid. The cost of building, safely operating and maintaining the electricity system is recovered by system operators through charges on customers, all of which is overseen and agreed with the CRU.
