Temporary electricity generators to be bought to replace older power plants

Minister Eamon Ryan has given the go-ahead to the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities to direct Eirgrid to purchase temporary electricity generators. Picture: Leon Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Ireland will purchase temporary electricity generators for the 2023/24 winter season as older power plants are decommissioned.

The plan is set to be announced today by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, which has been given the go-ahead to approve the move by Energy Minister Eamon Ryan.

Mr Ryan has given the CRU consent to direct Eirgrid to purchase 450MW of temporary electricity generators for winter next year. CRU has statutory responsibility to monitor and take the necessary measures to ensure the security of our electricity market.

Government sources said that there are a number of reasons for the move including that older and increasingly unreliable electricity plants are being decommissioned, that the normal process of securing additional electricity generation failed to deliver sufficient capacity needed by winter 2023/24, and increasing demand, including from data centres.

A source said that extra capacity "would have been required in any event" but said this plan was "an expedited process" aimed at avoiding issues in winter 2023/24.

The Government will pay the upfront capital cost and Eirgrid will recoup the cost from customers over three years. However, sources stressed that this will be offset by a cheaper PSO levy.

Mr Ryan will also seek Government approval for the RESS 2 Auction, announced in mid-May, which accelerates Ireland’s renewable energy programme, as well as approval for Ireland’s payment of a contribution of €10m to the UN for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund.

Another memo combines measures to allow CRU to give a negative PSO, which would lower energy bills and allows for greater investment by Bord na Mona in renewables through an amendment to the Turf Act. It also allows for increased borrowing limits for Eirgrid to fund the Celtic interconnector.

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Mr Ryan is also seeking approval from Government to draft amendments to the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 to provide a legislative basis for the use of traffic monitoring cameras by TII and local authorities.

Also at Cabinet, Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman will seek approval to bring report stage amendments to the Assisted Decision Making Capacity Bill which is going through the Oireachtas at present and which will abolish the wardship system.

The amendments will extend legal aid to those people exiting wardship. 

They will also remove part of the 2015 act which did not make all reproductive healthcare choices available to women when making an advance healthcare directive under the act and will introduce transitional arrangements to allow any current wardship applications to be completed under the new legislation once the present bill becomes law.

Cabinet will also discuss the long-awaited defective blocks scheme with Clare and Limerick to be added to the Government's redress plan as the €2.2bn price tag looks set to rise by €500m.