Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2026
309. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the way in which the Government is supporting community-led and farmer-owned renewable energy projects in rural Ireland, including access to grid, planning certainty, and fair compensation, and to address concerns regarding large-scale developments in rural communities;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12045/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) supports community-led, farmer-owned, and SME solar and wind projects.
The SRESS export phase, which opened in 2025, assists these sectors in establishing generation projects of up to 6MW by providing guaranteed tariffs. SRESS simplifies market access for such projects, aligning more closely with the experience and capacity of these sectors. Farmers can apply to SRESS themselves, on the same basis as SMEs, or as members of Renewable Energy Communities. SRESS application forms and details are available at www.gov.ie/sress.
To assist development, SEAI provides 9 free comprehensive guides covering key areas including planning permission, stakeholder engagement, and the electricity market. These are available on the SEAI website.
SEAI also offers community groups free access to specialist technical advisor support for planning permission applications, feasibility studies, community formation, and grid connection.
Additionally, 13 county-level grid studies have been made available to communities to help identify economically viable grid connection sites.
In 2025, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published the new Electricity Connection Policy - Generation and System Services which enhances opportunities for community projects. Key updates include reduced first-stage grid payment fees, the removal of capacity limits, an increase in the threshold for capacity bonds from 5MW to 6MW and the removal of caps on the number of projects per processing batch.
All renewable energy projects, including in rural areas, undergo detailed assessment by Planning Authorities under relevant planning and environmental legislation and regulations.
To ensure fair compensation, both SRESS and the larger, utility scale, Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) require projects to establish Community Benefit Funds (CBF), providing a minimum of €2 per MWh generated annually. These funds empower rural communities to shape local funding priorities, ensuring transparency through local involvement in formal governance structures. This ensures that local areas share directly in the benefits of renewable energy development.
