Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 December 2013
35. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he has recommended or otherwise pursued with wind industry representatives on the matter of an index linked bond relating to wind farm developments to ensure responsible management, decommissioning, where necessary, and possible restoration of obsolescent sites in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45219/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer to Section 7.19 of my Department’s Wind Energy Development Guidelines 2006 on ‘Decommissioning and Reinstatement’.
Conditions requiring the lodgement of financial bonds have been used in the past to try to ensure that decommissioning will take place in a responsible manner. However, the use of long-term bonds to secure satisfactory reinstatement of the site upon cessation of the project puts an unreasonable burden on developers, given the long time span involved in wind energy developments, and is difficult to enforce. The recycling value of the turbine components, particularly copper and steel, should more than adequately cover the financial costs of the decommissioning. Accordingly, the use of a long-term bond is not recommended. I do not propose to revisit this issue during the current targeted review of the Wind Energy Development Guidelines, which is focusing on noise, proximity and shadow flicker.
