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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 1

Written Answers. - Energy Resources.

Pádraic McCormack

Ceist:

166 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to promote renewable energy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26384/03]

The promotion of renewable energy technologies is a key priority of the Government. As Minister with responsibility for energy policy, my immediate goal is to add an additional 500 megawatts of renewables based electricity generating capacity to the electricity network by 2005 and a further 218 MW by 2006 subject to EU state aids clearance.

The 500 megawatt target is currently being implemented and will be achieved in the main under contracts offered by me under the fifth and sixth alternative energy requirement competitions. I am confident of securing state aids clearance for the additional 218 MW which will be allocated to AER VI projects but I cannot commit to individual projects until the European Commission has finalised its position on the state aids notification.

In addition, Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, the independent non-commercial State body focused exclusively on sustainable use of energy including deployment of renewable energy sources, has commenced a challenging work programme to increase energy efficiency and to promote renewable energy technologies. In the renewable energy field, specifically, SEI has opened a research, development and demonstration programme for renewable energy technologies. The programme is open to a wide range of proposals including policy studies, field research, feasibility studies and technology RD&D.

The completion of AER VI will close the current chapter of support for renewable energy technologies. I will shortly launch a comprehensive consultation and review of the renewable energy sector which will feed into the formulation of a new policy initiative for this important segment of the energy market. The review of the renewable energy sector will focus on the key issues which I believe we now need to address particularly in the context of the EC directive on the promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in the internal electricity market. The obligation addressed to Ireland in the directive is to increase the consumption of electricity from renewable energy sources to 13.2% of total electricity consumed nationally by 2010. I have already stated that this is a minimum target which must be achieved.

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