Discussed at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, the initiative will improve the Irish Government's "horrendous record" on climate change, according to Brian Stanley TD, the party's spokesperson on climate action.
"To address climate change, we cannot just call for the end of fossil fuels. We need solutions to directly replace fossil fuels and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions," the representative for Laois and Offaly told the committee. "We need to put in place alternative energy solutions and microgeneration will form a part of this, as well as being an energy source that lowers household energy bills.
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"The Sinn Féin Microgeneration Bill establishes that suppliers will have to pay the householder for excess electricity supplied to the grid from small scale renewable energy. It will lower energy bills, provide some income, and will add to the States overall renewable energy production.
"Up to now it is ordinary households and businesses that pay high energy prices and pay for our switch to renewables. They pay to support large-scale renewable energy through the Public Service Obligation levy on their electricity bills and pay the current carbon tax."
Deputy Stanley said the government cannot continue to place the obligation on homeowners and businesses, a burden that should be shared with energy suppliers.
He continued: "The future growth in the use of electric vehicles and heat pumps in homes will see electricity consumption grow. Allowing ordinary households and businesses to produce their own energy means lower energy bills and higher rates of renewable power across the State.
"We need to switch from fossil fuels and we can do it by getting everybody involved, not just large-scale developers. Small scale renewable energy has a part to play in our energy future. With this Governments' awful record on climate change they should be searching for solutions and should not be resisting this practical solution to displacing some of our fossil fuel usage."
(JG/MH)
