S.I. No. 56/2020 - Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (Public Service Obligations) (Amendment) Order 2020

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 3rd March, 2020.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in exercise of the powers conferred on him by section 39 (amended by Regulation 22 of the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity) Regulations 2005 ( S.I. No. 60 of 2005 )) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (No. 23 of 1999) and the Communications, Energy and Geological Survey of Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 300 of 2002 ) (as adapted by the Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2016 ( S.I. No. 421 of 2016 )), following consultation with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (as adapted by the Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2017 (S.I. 358 of 2017)), and having given a draft of this Order to the persons upon whom the obligation is to be imposed, hereby order as follows:

1. This Order may be cited as the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (Public Service Obligations) (Amendment) Order 2020.

2. The Electricity Regulation Act 1999 (Public Service Obligations) Order 2002 ( S.I. No. 217 of 2002 ) is amended by the insertion of the following Article after Article 21:

“Public service obligation on the transmission system operator

22. There shall be imposed by the Commission on the transmission system operator a requirement to make such arrangements as are necessary to administer a competitive process, established by the Minister, to ensure that, in any specified period, there shall be available to a supplier electricity from generating stations which use as their primary fuel source renewable, sustainable or alternative forms of energy.”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

27 February 2020.

RICHARD BRUTON

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

This Order modifies Statutory Instrument 217 of 2002, the principal order, dealing with the public service obligation on electricity consumers. This Order specifically updates the principal order in respect of the insertion of Article 22 which provides for the imposition by the Commission of a Public Service Obligation on the transmission system operator regarding the administration of a competition established by the Minister.