Mattie McGrath criticised the government's focus on a carbon tax while householders and farmers are unable to connect their solar and small wind installations to the ESB grid. He urged immediate action to allow microgeneration and highlighted a budget feed-in tariff due in July as a planned remedy.
Grid connection problems
McGrath described dozens of householders and farmers who invested in solar panels and miniature wind turbines but are unable to get onto the ESB grid. He said those investors signed contracts to supply electricity back to the grid but remain blocked from connection.
Allegation of monopoly and inaction
He accused the grid operator and conglomerates of effectively monopolising access and said the ESB was "doing nothing to help" people who want to generate clean energy. McGrath argued that the blocking of microgeneration is harming citizens who want to act for the environment.
Critique of policy focus
McGrath criticised what he called a one-trick focus on a gas carbon tax and urged decision-makers to look beyond taxation. He said those seeking to generate renewable energy are not climate change deniers but are being cut out by the system.
Budget measure and feed-in tariff
He noted that the budget addressed microgeneration and that a feed-in tariff is due to come into effect in July to support farmers and other initiatives. McGrath presented the tariff as the intended solution to resolve grid access and support small-scale renewable projects.
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I've heard of you, did you not let your part or your government, your one-trick pony as a gas carbon tax, I have dozens of individual householders who put on solar panels and did contracts to supply electricity back to the grid, I have dozens of farmers who put up solar panels and I need many who put up miniature wind turbines and they can't get into the ESB, onto the grid, so your things are just thrown in the carbon tax, there has to be all and all and these people are stacked up waiting, made huge investments, want to do something for them, the environment, they are not climate change deniers and they are good people, and they are there now, they can't get onto the grid and the ESB are doing nothing to help them or allow them in, so you are cutting the people all the time, you mentioned intelligence here three or four times in the last couple of days, you have not monopoly intelligence around here at all, wake up and take away the smoke stream to your eyes and see what is happening with the conglomerates, and they are cutting the people and they won't allow the people who want to do something, they won't allow them to do it because they have a monopoly. But the whole issue around micro generation was dealt with in the budget and the feeding tariff is due to come in in July to help and to once and for all deal with that issue and in particular to support farmers and to support a variety of initiatives around micro generation.
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