The consumption of electricity from renewable energy sources was of the order of 5.1% of total electricity consumed in 2004. I recently announced and am currently finalising a new support programme to support the construction of at least a further 400 MW of new renewable energy powered electricity generating plant by 2010. This capacity, together with other capacity constructed since 2004, will more than double the consumption level from 5.1% in 2004 to 13.2%, at least, by 2010.
The new support programme will assist projects in the market ready categories of biomass, small scale hydro and large and small scale wind power. All other renewable energy based technologies, which are not yet market ready, can make application to the research and development programme operated by Sustainable Energy Ireland, www.irish-energy.ie.
The detailed draft terms and conditions of the new feed-in support programme were put out to publication consultation, on my Department's website, www.dcmnr.gov.ie. Interested parties had until 12 October to raise any queries or to furnish any observations on the proposals. Approximately 30 responses were received. Following consideration of the matters raised in these responses, the new programme, to be known as the renewable energy feed-in tariff, REFIT, will be finalised and published.