Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 February 2026
182. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the contribution of onshore wind farms to reducing electricity prices for consumers in rural areas like County Offaly; if alternatives such as biomass will be prioritised to avoid over-reliance on wind; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7564/26]
View answerIreland currently has over 5 GW of onshore wind, over 2 GW of Solar PV and a range of other renewable technologies which are helping shield homes and businesses across the county from volatility in fossil prices.
The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is Ireland’s flagship policy to deliver on our renewable electricity targets under the Climate Action Plan and Programme for Government and has been instrumental in providing a supportive policy environment for Ireland’s growing renewables sector since the first auction in 2020.
The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy is a vital policy support for the development of renewable electricity to enable Ireland to reach energy and climate targets. Under the PSO, over 4.6 GW of renewable generation, mainly onshore wind, is supported through the RESS and previous schemes.
The PSO is set annually by the CRU to recover or return electricity consumers funds associated with renewable supports. It applies to all electricity customers and can be a charge or a credit depending on wholesale prices. For 2025/26 the CRU has set the monthly PSO charge at €1.46 for domestic customers. In contrast, the PSO was negative in 2022/23, resulting in payments to customers, and set to zero for 2023/24. Thus the RESS provides for consumer protection, whereby supported projects are required to credit monies to households and businesses when market prices exceed their RESS support price.
The PSO protects consumers by supporting investments in renewable energy at predictable prices and reducing reliance on importing fossil fuels. The PSO helps shield consumers from international price volatility.
In addition, I have established the National Energy Affordability Taskforce whose goal is to identify, assess and implement measures that will enhance energy affordability for households and businesses.
The RESS is open to a range of established technologies to compete for support including wind and solar and as well as other technologies including biomass. My Department recently launched a consultation on the next RESS auction (RESS 6).
