Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2020
10. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the renewable energy projects he will pursue to help reduce the reliance of Ireland on fossil fuels in view of the Environmental Protection Agency greenhouse gas emissions projections report published recently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16250/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is my first interaction with the Minister in the Dáil, I want to wish him the very best of luck in his role. I look forward to working with him over the coming years in a constructive and productive manner. Both of our parties share the same desire to transition to a greener society and economy but this must be done in a fair and just manner. Climate justice must be at the heart of the Government's approach to reducing carbon emissions. There are huge challenges in the climate action and transport briefs, and I look forward to working with the Minister on these.
My question considers the greenhouse gas emissions projections report produced by the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, last week. Will the Minister outline the renewable energy projects the Government will pursue to help reduce the State's reliance on fossil fuels?
I thank Deputy O'Rourke for his kind words and I look forward to working with him over the coming years. He is right that our parties share a common aim and ambition in terms of how we place this country at the centre of leadership in tackling the climate and biodiversity crisis.
As Minister with responsibility for climate action, I will lead on delivering our shared commitment to achieve an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030, and to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Renewable energy will be at the heart of this transformation and my Department will drive the renewables revolution such that reliance on fossil fuels is reduced as quickly as possible and to the maximum extent possible.
The programme for Government’s green new deal commits to taking the steps to deliver at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030 by, inter alia: holding the first renewable electricity support scheme, RESS, auction by the end of 2020, with auctions held each year thereafter, including the first RESS auction for offshore wind in 2021; giving cross-Government priority to the drafting of the marine planning and development Bill so that it is published as soon as possible and enacted within nine months; producing a whole-of-government plan setting out how we will deliver at least 70% renewable electricity by 2030 and how we will develop the necessary skills base, supply chains, legislation and infrastructure to enable it; finalising and publishing the wind energy guidelines; developing a solar energy strategy for rooftop and ground-based photovoltaics to ensure that a greater share of our electricity needs is met through solar power; continuing EirGrid’s programme, Delivering a Secure, Sustainable Electricity System, or DS3; implementing the national retrofit plan; and progressing the planning of the necessary offshore grid infrastructure.
Good progress is already being made on a number of these commitments and, next week, projects will compete in the first auction under the RESS auction system. This will deliver new renewable energy projects to the grid at scale, for the first time ever targeting solar farms to power Irish homes. Onshore and offshore wind will also be developed through the RESS auctions, with the first offshore wind auction planned for next year.
Expanding our renewable energy sources will be key to achieving our carbon emissions targets. The recently published programme for Government states that this Administration is committed to an average 7% per annum reduction in overall greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030. However, what has become clear is that this is an average of 7%, so it seems this Administration plans to backload most of the work to the latter half of this decade, passing the baton to the next Administration. The EPA report states that the full and early implementation of the 2019 climate action plan is needed. Does the Minister agree that now, rather than in the latter half of the decade, we have a prime opportunity to take advantage of the low interest rates for borrowing to invest in substantial renewable energy projects that can help us meet our targets and reduce our emissions?
I agree fully that now is the time to invest and now is the time to act. However, some of those actions, such as introducing the maritime spatial planning legislation to allow us to develop offshore wind, will not actually deliver emissions reductions until the latter part of this decade. It does take that length of time. As to the scale of investment, we are talking of hundreds of millions if not billions of euro, which we should borrow now, but borrow in the knowledge that by the time we get through the planning system, build out the grid, contract the turbines and then install them, it will be the latter half of this decade when that kicks in. The 7% averaging is the correct approach. It is not like we can flick a switch and immediately have offshore wind. Certain products can be developed relatively quickly and, for example, solar farms in the field should not take that long to install. However, anyone involved in the industry would recognise they have already been planning for five or ten years just to get to the point of being able to bid in to develop those resources.
I encourage and implore the Minister to use the opportunity of the July stimulus to be very ambitious for renewable energy. What are the plans for the inclusion of renewable energy projects in the July stimulus? I am aware there are barriers to the development of renewable energy, for example, there are regulatory barriers to offshore wind. I am particularly interested in the model of delivery of renewable energy resources, in particular community involvement, co-operatives and community-led projects. What plans has the Minister for developing different models of delivery?
The delivery of renewables will have to be through both the large-scale projects, such as the offshore projects I have just mentioned, and much smaller projects, so that it is more widely owned. That starts, for example, in the retrofitting of buildings, where we will be taking out an oil or gas-fired boiler and putting in a heat pump powered with renewable electricity. This will help us to balance renewable power in the long run, when we have a large stock of heat pumps that we can turn on and off to match the wind power as it becomes available.
That is an example of the projects we should be targeting in the immediate future – in the next year of the stimulus period - because it can be delivered quickly. Similarly, I agree fully that community involvement and community ownership of renewable power is going to be a critical component of this transformation and this just transition. There are mechanisms within the proposed auction system that will allow us to promote and ensure community ownership within the development of new projects. That political agreement among all parties in the House will help to deliver this as quickly as possible.
