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For Written Answer on : 17/01/2024
Question Number(s): 128 Question Reference(s): 1734/24
Department: Environment, Climate and Communications
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
To ask the Minister for the Environment; Climate and Communications further to Parliamentary Question No. 105 of 28 September 2023, the number of submissions received by his Department as part of the public consultation on private wires; when he expects the policy on private wires to be finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY
During 2023, my Department held a public consultation on private wires. The consultation ran from 18th August until 27th October 2023 and during this time over 120 submissions were received. Work in respect of the consultation submissions is currently ongoing within my Department, with a report on submission responses expected for publication in Q2.
The aim of this consultation was to gather the views of the public, stakeholders and interested parties alike, to consolidate our understanding of the role which private wires may play in the future Irish electricity ecosystem, as well as to identify the challenges and opportunities such a policy change may present. Publication of the consultation represented the first step towards a final policy and completed action EL/23/15 of the Climate Action Plan 2023.
If permitted for, private wires would allow private individuals and/or undertakings to install their own privately owned electricity infrastructure linking generation with demand. This would represent a major shift in electricity policy in the State and as such may impact upon all citizens while also overhauling aspects of the electricity sector which have been in place since soon after the foundation of the State.
In accordance with Action EL/24/9 of the recently published Climate Action Plan 24, it is intended to publish a private wires policy during Q4 2024.
