RSUA Responds to Design Considerations for a Renewable Electricity Support Scheme
The deadline is the 27th April 2023 for the Department for the Economy’s consultation on design considerations for a Renewable Electricity Support Scheme for Northern Ireland. This consultation is a result of the Energy Strategy Action Plan for 2022 Action Point 12 to consult on a renewable electricity support scheme. Input received from this consultation will form the basis of the development of a renewable electricity support scheme for Northern Ireland.
RSUA has formulated a response in conjunction with the climate emergency committee. Special thanks to the contributions made by Alan Ritchie, Ben Aston and Lisa Parks.
Points from RSUA’s response are:
- RSUA believes that the minimum capacity for new sites to be eligible for a renewable electricity support scheme in Northern Ireland should align with the RoI’s minimum capacity of 0.5MW. RSUA believes that aligning Northern Ireland’s minimum capacity with RoI, as opposed to GB’s minimum capacity of 5MW, makes more sense for Northern Ireland due to RoI’s and Northern Irelands similar landscapes and settlement patterns, as well as the availability of technology.
- RSUA agrees that a dedicated support scheme is required to incentivise deployment of small-scale/microgeneration assets in Northern Ireland. RSUA believes that the cumulative impact of small/microgeneration assets on climate targets should not be overlooked. The main report (pg11) recognises that “small and microgeneration has played a crucial role in previous schemes (such as the NIRO, which helped Northern Ireland reach the 2020 target of 40% renewable electricity consumption) and has contributed to increasing consumer engagement with the wider climate agenda”.
- RSUA believes that community benefit should be among the top priorities as an eligibility requirement for generators to qualify for a support scheme in Northern Ireland. RSUA believes that providing community benefits in Northern Ireland will be critical for community support and participation.
To view RSUA’s full response, please click here.
If you have any comments or queries, please email Lucy Mulgrew via lucy@rsua.org.uk.
