Application windows doubling for national grid connections – The Irish Times

Electricity suppliers looking for new connections to the national grid will be able to submit applications every six months instead of once a year, a change to the system that has been welcomed by industry representatives.

Currently, national grid operator EirGrid and ESB Networks only accept applications for new connections during one month in the autumn, which means that if the project misses the deadline, the developer will have to wait another year.

However, the Commission for the Regulation of Municipal Services (CRU), which supervises the energy industry, announced on Thursday that from next year, entrepreneurs will be able to apply for new connections every six months.

Additionally, rather than opening the process for a month, there will be an “initial engagement” for new applicants.

According to the CRU, suppliers of wind, solar and other renewable energy sources will only need formal confirmation of completed planning applications, rather than full planning permission, before applying for grid applications.

Renewable energy developers have highlighted the requirement for them to have full planning permission as the main reason for delays in obtaining grid connections.

Welcoming the news, Wind Energy Ireland chief executive Noel Cunniffe called the new policy a “significant step forward” in accelerating the rate at which renewable energy sources can connect to the national electricity grid.

“We look forward to working closely with CRU, EirGrid and ESB to ensure the success of this new process and that we can all work towards our country’s energy independence,” he added.

Phil Hemmingway, CRU’s director of decarbonisation, said the aim of the policy was to give new projects greater opportunities to connect to the grid in an “accelerated timeframe”.

Meanwhile, CRU also announced on Thursday that from October 1 next year it will require the Republic’s largest electricity suppliers to offer customers “dynamic” rates linked to the wholesale electricity market.

Dynamic tariffs track movements in the wholesale market, where prices change every half hour depending on demand. These prices are high during peak times, but drop sharply when demand is low, especially late at night.

The regulator said the move would not suit all customers but would allow “committed” businesses and households to adjust their usage to these price changes.

It will apply to all suppliers with more than 200,000 customers, including ESB subsidiary Electric Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy.

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