Dyrick Hill Community Benefit Funding

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We at EMPower are fully committed to ensuring we work with and support the communities we work in.

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If consented the proposed Dyrick Hill Wind Farm project will provide a community fund calculated in accordance with the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) Terms and Conditions at €2 per MWh of electricity produced by the project. This is to be made available to the local community for the duration of the RESS (15 years). The average capacity factor of wind energy projects in Ireland is 28.3% (SEAI, 2019).

 

Using the above mentioned efficiency figure as an example, and, for illustrative purposes only, assuming a project's output capacity of say 50 Mega Watts, in this example a project's community benefit fund would amount to an average of €247,908 per annum. The actual fund will vary around the average from year to year, depending on each years wind conditions. 

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The guidelines governing the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) funding is proposed to be divided as follows. An annual minimum payment of €1,000 will be provided to each household within 1km of any proposed project's wind turbine. An annual minimum payment of €500 will be provided to each household located between 1km and 2km of any turbine location. These payments will be fixed for the 15 year duration of the RESS and will not fluctuate. In addition, 40% of the fund, for our above hypothetical example, would amount to approximately €99,163 per year, will be allocated to not-for-profit community enterprises, with an emphasis on low-carbon initiatives.

The remainder of the fund will be directed towards local clubs, societies and other initiatives. 

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EMPower strongly believe that the communities nearest our projects are those that should benefit most from any Community Fund. We welcome any suggestions from the community for suitable local projects that could be supported under this initiative.

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Wind Energy Irelands Best Practice Guidelines

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“Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) and its members support the provision of financial contributions by wind farm operators to local communities and have sought to formulate best practice principles for the provision of a community commitment.

 

WEI understands the importance of community commitment initiatives and has actively promoted best practice guidelines for community engagement among its members. Increasing community acceptance of wind energy is central to the efficient deployment and expansion of wind energy in Ireland. The development of Ireland's significant wind energy resource is an extremely positive economic development for Ireland and resulting in greater security of our energy supply and job creation, providing a hedge against high fossil fuel prices and a reduction in Green House Gas emissions.”

 

In order to achieve Ireland’s Renewable Energy targets for 2030 a new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme has been produced. This support now requires that developers put in place a Community Benefit Fund that goes beyond the old approach both in terms of contribution and scope. EMPower fully endorses this change that ensures communities are at the centre of all renewable electricity projects.

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Community Benefit in the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS)

 

What is RESS?

The new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) will help deliver Ireland’s contribution to the EU-wide binding renewable energy target of 32% RES out to 2030, with this level of ambition recently agreed by EU Commission, EU Parliament and EU Council. RESS is also a pivotal component of Programme for Government and the Climate Action Plan 2021 and is a major step in achieving Ireland’s target of at least 80% renewable electricity by 2030.

Where possible, the scheme will also deliver additional renewable electricity which can be counted towards Ireland’s RES-E 2020 target.

 

In terms of Community Benefit RESS requires;

“a Mandatory Community Benefit Fund and Register, standardised across the sector. It is proposed that this contribution is set at €2/MWh for all RES-E generation produced and seeking support via RESS auctions. A national community benefits register will be established.”

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RESS also provides guidelines for how community funds should be administered and allocated, published in the RESS Terms and Conditions (2019).

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FOr further information on RESS please visit the below website https://www.eirgridgroup.com/customer-and-industry/renewable-electricity-support-scheme/

 

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