New bill would allow Offaly homeowners generate their own electricity

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Climate Action and future Laois-Offaly election candidate, Brian Stanley TD has welcomed all-party support for his Bill on Microgeneration and moving it to committee stage in the Dáil earlier this week.

The Laois TD said that he hopes now there is "a Government realisation of the need to broaden our sources of renewable energy across the state."

Speaking after the debate Brian Stanley TD said, “as a country we need to go from laggards to leaders when it comes to climate change and this is not for next year or the year after, this is a task for now."

“Allowing householders and small businesses develop small-scale renewable energy and sell excess electricity back to the grid, wins on three fronts, it allows households reduce energy costs and also will add to the state’s overall supply of renewable energy. It also reduces our output of greenhouse gas emissions."

"This legislation would enable midland householders, businesses and farmers to become directly involved in producing electricity for their own use and to feed and surplus into the grid. This is facilitated by way of a two-way meter and is a well-established practice in several other EU Countries."

"The time for action on climate change is now, we are way behind in terms of emissions and slow in terms of the growth of renewable energy and because of this we will be facing substantial fines come 2020," Stanley added.

“Microgeneration is in itself not the sole solution to our energy needs but if we are to combat change it will need community involvement and means broadening our renewable energy portfolio."

 “This bill should move quickly now and should not be held up by Government."

 “Their claim last night of a ‘money message’ or this being a cost on the exchequer – which is often a mechanism used by Government to slow a bill's progress – are unfounded, Stanley claims. 

“There is no cost to the State here, and this must not be used as a tool to block its progress. Microgeneration will form a vital part of our energy future and must be developed.”