The community commitments in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) seek to support sustainable community energy projects and ensure that local communities benefit from all RESS projects.
A RESS Communities Steering Board has been established by my Department to advise on the policy and implementation of the community features of RESS. The representatives from the academic and community sectors come from a variety of backgrounds including Sustainable Energy Communities, Public Participation Networks, community energy co-ops, community generators, research and third level institutes and international community energy advocacy.
The members bring a wealth of experience and knowledge from across the community and academic sectors, ensuring a broad range of views are represented and heard. The Board will be decisive in shaping the tremendous opportunity for the development of community energy in Ireland that will be important in achieving a just energy transition and our national energy and climate policy goals.
I will write separately to the Deputy and provide further details of the steering group.