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For Oral Answer on : 14/12/2021
Question Number(s): 32 Question Reference(s): 61273/21
Department: Environment, Climate and Communications
Asked by: David Stanton T.D.
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QUESTION
[Ref No.: 61273/21]
To ask the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps being taken by his Department to ensure security of electricity supply this winter and beyond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – David Stanton.
For ORAL answer on Tuesday, 14th December, 2021.
(15 Received on 11th November, 2021.)
REPLY
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (the CRU) has statutory responsibility to ensure security of electricity supply. This includes the duty to monitor security of electricity supply and to take such measures as it considers necessary to protect security of supply. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities is assisted in its statutory role by EirGrid.
The challenges to security of electricity supply are set out in EirGrid’s Generation Capacity Statement 2021-2030 and Winter Outlook 2021/2022, which were published in September and October respectively.
In September, the CRU published an information note, setting out the programme of actions they are leading in order to address these challenges. These actions include:
- increasing the availability of existing generators;
- developing new generation capacity – including temporary generation capacity in advance of winter 2022;
- extending the operational life of some existing generators; and
- actions to enhance demand-side response, including large consumers reducing demand when the system margin is low.
Last month, the Government approved and published a new Policy Statement on Electricity Security of Supply, which supports the CRU’s programme of actions.
My Department continues to work closely with the CRU and EirGrid to implement the programme of actions and ensure security of electricity supply.
