I propose to answer Questions Nos. 83 to 87, inclusive, together.
Under the Electricity Regulation Act, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities has responsibility for ensuring security of electricity supply and is directly responsible for the performance of its functions to a Joint Committee of the Oireachtas.
The running of the electricity capacity auction process is solely a matter for EirGrid and the Single Electricity Market (SEM) Committee, as auctions are conducted by the Transmission System Operator according to the auction design and under overall regulatory supervision of the SEM Committee. There is no Ministerial function in relation to the auctions, apart from securing state aid approval for the capacity mechanism, which was obtained in 2017.
In September 2021, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a programme of work to provide additional stability and reliance to the Irish energy system over the next four to five years. The CRU Security of Supply programme of work was in response to identification of a potential capacity shortfall, for the winter periods of 2022/23 to 2025/26, which was set out in the EirGrid’s most up to date All Island Generation Capacity Statement 2021.
On 27 June 2022, the CRU has published an update on the actions within the programme on and this is available on their website. This includes the actions relating to temporary generation and the electricity capacity auctions.
The Deputy may wish to note that CRU provides a dedicated email address for Oireachtas members, which enables them to raise questions to CRU at oireachtas@cru.ie for timely direct reply.