Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS)

Wind Power
Copyright the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government

According to the Irish Government (2020), the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) provides support to renewable electricity projects in Ireland. With a primary focus on cost effectiveness, the RESS aims to deliver on a broad range of policy objectives, including:

  • an Enabling Framework for Community Participation through the provision of pathways and supports for communities to participate in renewable energy projects
  • increasing technology diversity by broadening the renewable electricity technology mix
  • delivering an ambitious renewable electricity policy to 2030
  • increasing energy security, energy sustainability and ensuring the cost effectiveness of energy policy

The scheme operates via auctions, where renewable energy providers bid their MW capacity and their price per MW. The results of the 2020 RESS auction published by Eirgrid saw a total of 114 projects applied to participate in the RESS 1 qualification process. The Final Qualification Results as approved by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment qualified 109 projects (including eight Community Projects) to participate in the RESS 1 Auction. Three projects did not qualify and two projects formally withdrew from the process (Eirgrid, 2020).

Eirgrid aim to have 70% of Irish electricity come from renewables by 2030. 


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