Vol. 489 No. 5
5 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the progress in 1998 in implementing the commitment in An Action Programme for the Millennium to aggressively pursue alternative sources of renewable energy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5027/98]
This Government is implementing a dynamic and progressive alternative energy policy, as evidenced by the four major initiatives pursued to date in this area. There are two competitions currently under way in relation to the development of alternative energy sources. The AER III competition conducted by an independent agency, ETSU, aims to secure an additional 100 megawatts of electricity generating capacity from renewable energy sources, wind, hydro, waste, biomass and wave. The closing date for receipt of commercial bids for the competition was 13 February 1998. I expect to be in a position to announce the results before Easter.
The AER IV competition, which I launched on 22 September 1997, aims to secure an additional 25 megawatts of newly installed electricity generating capacity from high efficiency combined heat and power systems. Furthermore, it will seek to secure up to ten megawatts of electricity generating capacity from existing similar systems. The AER IV competition closed for technical bids on Friday, 23 January 1998.
Additionally, the guaranteed electricity market access for Irish renewable energy projects successful in securing THERMIE grants has been continued for the 1998 round. It has also been broadened to include combined heat and power projects. For successful biomass projects, a special enhanced tariff structure has been negotiated.
The Finance Bill, 1998, makes provision for tax reliefs for investment in renewable energy projects using windpower, hydropower, biomass and solar technologies. This pilot tax relief initiative is further evidence of the strong commitment of Government to promote alternative energy projects.
I note the Minister said the Government was implementing a progressive and radical policy in relation to this matter. On AER III, last November he told us we would know the results at the beginning of the year, on 24 February he told us that we would know at the beginning of March and today he told us we would know before Easter. What is the reason for the delay?
I am not sure of the source of what the Deputy stated. The timetable for this announcement is days or weeks away.
On 12 November last the Minister said he expected to be in a position to announce the results early in 1998. What is the reason for the delay in declaring these results? What is the position in relation to cross-Border co-operation on alternative energy? There is a joint North-South initiative founded under the INTERREG II programme and studies were to be completed on that by 30 November last. What is the position in that regard?
In its programme for Government, the Government stated it would aggressively pursue alternative sources of renewable energy. What is the position on commitments in the White Paper issued by the Commission of the European Communities in which targets were set and to which the Government was to contribute its estimation of the target?
This is still early 1998.
It is the month of April.
As I indicated, we will make the announcement before Easter. There is an ongoing rapport between my Department and its counterpart in Northern Ireland as regards renewable energy, which will continue. We will vigorously follow up and pursue all measures to promote renewables and will interact with our colleagues in the North on an ongoing basis.
We are endeavouring to comply with all aspects of the EU position and are in the throes of preparing a Green Paper which will be published before the end of the year — I hope it will be published during energy awareness week in September. As far as I and the Department are concerned, we are aggressively pursuing alternative sources of renewable energy, which was the thrust and content of the Deputy's question.
I thank the Minister for his reply and ask him to go one step beyond endeavouring to comply with what Europe tells us, to stake out our competitive advantage in the area of renewable or sustainable energy and to consider the need for energy conservation, which will make this viable in the long run. Will the Minister confirm that the pilot wave energy project under the third round of AER will proceed and that this country's competitive advantage will be fought for and maintained? As an island nation, our potential for wave energy is unsurpassed. Will the third round of the alternative energy requirement be oversubscribed and will the energy requirement be extended beyond the 100 megawatt limit? Will he take account of the interest, which may mean he will surpass his wildest dreams in the area of renewable energy?
I assure the Deputy that we are determined to drive this policy. We are aware of our God given advantages as an island nation. I agree with the Deputy's comments on wave energy, which is a pet project of mine, and we will progress this vigorously. Perhaps the Deputy could help with the difficulties we face at planning level, which are extraordinary. Although we are endeavouring to drive this policy, there seems to be an aversion at planning level to proceeding with wind energy projects in particular, which will be the main source of these renewables. The difficulty is paradoxical in that decent environmentally conscious people are objecting to these project as they do not see the environmental advantages.
If we do not properly educate these people we will not get very far with this policy. I have asked for consideration to be given to a PR drive to promote the idea and correct the misconceptions, particularly as regards noise pollution which is almost zero. Deputy Stagg will confirm this as, like me, he has visited wind farms. I would welcome assistance from Deputies in dealing with this matter.
I will attend any meeting the Minister wishes.
I compliment the Minister for State on pursuing vigorously the next stage of the ten year programme which I put in place. To digress slightly, I welcome Deputy Sargent's support for alternative energy systems. I expect him to put this into practice——
I have worked on it.
——and not organise campaigns against alternative energy proposals put forward by the Minister.
The biomass programme includes urban waste. Is there anything in the upcoming competitions which will allow the waste generated in Dublin and other cities to be converted to energy, thereby drastically reducing the problem in regard to landfill sites? The Minister has a proposal along these lines in the pipeline. Is there anything in the programme which will allow for the massive amounts of chicken waste, particularly in Border regions, to be converted to energy?
On the latter question, this is an agricultural rather than an energy problem. It remains to be seen whether the two can be inter-related.
On the waste to energy question, the European Commission has finalised its examination of the socio-economic cost benefit analysis of the waste to energy project. The Commission cannot agree to European Regional Development Fund support for the project as the predictable revenue stream and the high degree of certainty about the capital cost of the project would effectively render the European Regional Development Fund grant deadweight money and construction of the station at this juncture would be at variance with the indicative time horizon for the thermal conversion of waste outlined in the draft waste management strategy for the Dublin region.
The Economic Infrastructure Operational Programme Monitoring Committee considered the matter at its meeting on 30 March. It was the committee's view, subject to a reserved judgment by the Department of Finance and the European Commission, that the 9.3 million ecu earmarked as aid for the project should be retained within the Economic Infrastructure Operational Programme and, if agreed by the CSF monitoring committee, in principle the aid should be allocated between the rural networks and broadband technology measures of the operational programme.
My question on North-South co-operation is important in its own right and, given the discussions taking place at present, it is potentially more important on another level. What was the result of the studies into biomass potential, local wind energy potential, energy from waste etc.? These studies were to be completed by 30 November. Have they been completed and, if so, what are the results?
It is the policy of the Government and the Department to continue the ongoing rapport with our Northern Ireland colleagues. On the other matter, if the Deputy tables a separate question I will deal with it in detail.
Renewable energy technology, particularly wind technology, has the full support of the Green Party. Deputy Stagg's sideswipe that I was in some way opposed to this technology is a falsehood.
A question, please.
Has the Minister given due consideration to the so-called waste to energy option? There is considerable concern in other countries, particularly France, where incinerators operating under this name had to be closed. It is better to give consideration to other ways of using biomass which do not include the burning of waste.
Did the Minister say that the Godamendy plant is self-sufficient and does not require grant aid? Given the commitment in the programme for Government on the provision of waste to energy facilities, will the Minister urge the ESB and the other partner in the programme to proceed with this financially viable project without EU grant aid?
I welcome Deputy Sargent's support for renewable energy technology and all that goes with it. We will put our shoulder to the wheel in regard to waste to energy schemes. Deputy Stagg's point about the Godamendy plant is accurate. I will push the proposal in the way suggested by him.
