Will the neighbourhood get a windmill?

With the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) auction scheduled to kick off this June, community projects have been given a special preference category as part of the auction design. The question remains, will this be enough to spark a change in how we develop, operate and own assets in the future? Community ownership of renewable assets is touted as a key part of our future energy system as we attempt to evolve our grid to a more decentralised model.

The auction design allows for three separate preference categories; community projects, solar and all projects. Each of these categories has been given a representative maximum quantity that can be awarded as set out in the draft Terms and Conditions. The allowable quantities for each category are:

  • Community projects – 30GWh
  • Solar projects – 300GWh
  • All projects – 3,000GWh
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Low carbon generation
Cathal Ryan

Cathal Ryan

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