Community-based requirement for Renewable Electricity Support Scheme

New requirement ensures community projects will be 100% community-owned to gain 15 year support in Government’s renewable electricity support scheme (RESS). 

 

The first RESS auction held in 2020 included a provision that mandatory Community Benefit Funds would be established by all successful projects. These Funds are set at €2/MWh for all generation projects and are to be used for the wider environmental, social and cultural well-being of the local community.

 

In July 2021, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications launched a range of new measures to ensure communities nationwide which will benefit from renewable energy. 

 

The package includes: 

- Targeted support for communities who want to develop their own renewable projects; 

- Good Practice Principles that will ensure communities benefit from funds generated by other renewable energy projects in their locality; 

- A new Steering Board to guide the development of the community energy sector. 

 

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