Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
121. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department plans on publishing a green energy plan for renewable energy generation on farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53253/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of the recent Government decision on sectoral emissions ceilings as part of the Climate Action Plan, there was a firm recognition of the role that agriculture can play in renewable energy generation and as a positive contribution to decarbonising the energy system. The role of Irish farmers in renewable energy systems is three-fold through:
Establishing energy efficiencies on-farm.
Through deployment of renewable energy at farm level; and
As a supplier of biomass/ bio-energy feedstocks
To help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided through TAMS to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms. The solar PV systems currently grant-aided under TAMS include Solar PV Panels and Solar PV Rechargeable Batteries and Solar Panels (Solar Thermal) for water heating under the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme. Grant aid for solar investments in TAMS is for on-farm consumption use only.
I was delighted to announce last month that the electricity consumption of the dwelling house can now be included with immediate effect on the solar survey as part of the holding for sizing the Solar PV installation. This is now open for application.
The maximum size of panel eligible for grant aid currently is 62kW for the Pig and Poultry Scheme (PPIS) and 11kW for all other eligible TAMS II schemes. To encourage further increased take up in solar applications I am proposing to make further changes to the scheme. This includes increasing the kilowatts for solar applications in TAMS 3 from 2023 onwards to 30 kilowatts from 11 kilowatts currently. This will bring in more high-energy intensive farms and cover their electricity usage through on-farm generation.
We are also retaining the current limit of 62 kilowatts remaining for the Pigs and Poultry Investment Scheme. Furthermore it is proposed that the grant rate will increase to a 60% grant and a standalone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar panels on farms from 2023 onwards.
In a time of rising energy costs, the scheme will enable every farmer to generate their own power for their dwelling and holding and will help to achieve a more sustainable rural economy, assisting farmers in reducing energy costs on their holdings.
Imagine, by the end of the decade, our kettles and phones might be powered by electricity generated on farms. That is an exciting prospect for our farmers and our overall economy.
In the recent budget, I announced that TAMS funding would be increased to €90 million to facilitate these changes. These changes are subject to approval of the Rural Development Plan (RDP) amendment by the European Commission. The amendment is currently with the Monitoring Committee of the RDP for their views before its formal submission to the Commission.
It should also be remembered that there are other state supports for the installation of solar panels including from the SEAI and all farmers should be examining all options for support. These can be installed in tandem with the TAMs investment for those farmers who wish to do this at scale and are a further option for those keen to explore renewable energy generation.
I will continue to work in collaboration across Government, and in particular with the Department of Environment, Climate Action and Communications as the energy policy lead, to realise this opportunity within the agriculture sector in providing a diversification of activity and income for farmers, enhancing pour security of supply, and as a contribution to decarbonising our energy system.
