Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
173. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the date by which the micro-generation support scheme will go live; the dates for interim stages to go live; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30550/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to prioritising the development of micro-generation of electricity. Under the Climate Action Plan, a Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is developing an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments.
My Department outlined proposals for a new Micro-generation Support Scheme, including the proposed support mechanism, in a public consultation that closed on 18 February. An analysis of the almost 900 submissions received is underway by my Department, with a view to publication of a summary of responses on my Department's website in the coming weeks. The findings from the submissions to the public consultation will inform the final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme.
While the primary aim of a micro-generation scheme is to enable a household to meet its own electricity needs, it is envisaged that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all renewables self-consumers in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory arrangements, in line with Articles 21 and 22 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. Work is ongoing with a view to achieving transposition of the Directive into Irish law in the coming months.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published an updated Roadmap for the Clean Energy Package’s Electricity and Renewables Directives in February, which provides for a public consultation on the regulatory framework for prosumer development, including for renewables self-consumers, later this year.
