SOUTH TIPPERARY COUNTY COUNCIL SOUTH TIPPERARY RENEWABLE & THE TIPPERARY ENERGY STRATEGY 2014 ENERGY AGENCY March 2014 Project Steering Group Clare Lee, South Tipperary County Council Paul Kenny, Tipperary Energy Agency Sonja Reidy, South Tipperary County Council George Mason, Strategic Policy Committee Sub-Committee for Energy Richard Long, Strategic Policy Committee Sub-Committee for Energy Richard Auler, Strategic Policy Committee Sub-Committee for Energy Strategic Policy Committee for Planning & Economic Development Cllr Joe Brennan, Chairman Cllr Micheal Murphy, Cllr Liam Ahearne, Cllr Micheál Anglim, Cllr Sean McCarthy, Cllr Billy Shoer, Cllr Teresa Ryan, Cllr Kieran Burke, Cllr Anna Tuohy-Halligan, Cllr Eoghan Lawrence John O’Shaughnessy, Donal O’Halloran Moya Breen Ger Kennedy South Tipperary County Council Cllr Liam Ahearne Cllr Micheál Anglim Cllr Seanie Lonergan Cllr Marie Murphy Cllr Jack Crowe Cllr Sean McCarthy (Mayor) Cllr Tom Wood Cllr Louise McLoughlin Cllr Tom Acheson - Leas Cathaoirleach Cllr Siobhán Ambrose Cllr Pat English Cllr Billy Shoer Cllr Richie Molloy Cllr Michael Murphy Cllr Darren Ryan Cllr Joe Brennan Cllr John Fahey Cllr Jimmy O'Brien – Cathaoirleach Cllr Eddie O'Meara Cllr Sylvia Cooney Sheehan Cllr John Crosse Cllr Joe Donovan Cllr Michael Fitzgerald Cllr Mary Hanna Hourigan Cllr Denis Leahy Cllr Micheal Cleere ii Executive Summary South Tipperary County Council is committed to the sustainable development of South Tipperary and its energy resources in a manner that protects the environment, supports energy self-sufficiency and provides employment in the county. In June 2013 the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland published their ‘Methodology for Local Authority Renewable Energy Strategies’, the purpose of which was to provide a framework for the development of renewable energy in Ireland and to ensure a consistent approach at local authority level. This Renewable Energy Strategy has been prepared by South Tipperary County Council and the Tipperary Energy Agency in line with the SEAI methodology and provides a framework for the sustainable development of renewable energy in the county. The total consumption of fuel in the county across the main economic sectors of agriculture, commerce, residential, transport and industry is growing by an average of 1.4% annually. Energy in the county is currently primarily supplied by fossil fuel sources, including gas and oil, with energy from renewable sources accounting for only approximately 3% of total fuel consumed. The ‘National Renewable Energy Action Plan’ produced by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has set out nationally binding targets for renewable energy consumption that will ensure that by 2020, 16% of the total national consumption of energy will be from renewable energy sources. In order to support this target the Government has identified key goals to be achieved that will support and stimulate the renewable energy industry. iii South Tipperary has the potential to produce renewable energy from its upland wind resources and from biomass sourced in its strong agricultural and forestry industries, energy may also be produced from the county inland water resources and to a lesser extent from solar and geothermal energy resources. Energy can be produced from these resources at the large, medium and small scales. This Renewable Energy Strategy has examined the resources of the county and the key facilitators, including resources and infrastructure and constraints, including the environment to the development of renewable energy and has identified a sustainable way forward for the development of renewable energy resources. Consideration has also been given to the potential for direct returns to the local economy and community through employment and community benefits. This Strategy is mindful of the need to support the development of renewable energy whilst at the same time ensuring that new development does not result in an adverse impact on the assets of South Tipperary including its water quality, heritage, landscape, infrastructure and communities. In this sense South Tipperary County Council supports the development of renewable energy where a balance can be achieved with the need to produce energy from renewable resources and the need to protect the environmental resources of the county. This Strategy was endorsed by the Strategic Policy Committee for Planning and Economic Development on the 11th February 2014 and thereafter was endorsed by South Tipperary County Council on the 3rd March 2014. The recommendations of this Strategy will go forward to inform the development of a statutory planning policy for renewable energy development with the support and consensus of the all stakeholders in the area through the County Development Plan process. iv Table of Contents Glossary of Terms .............................................................................................................................. 4 1.0 What is a Renewable Energy Strategy? .................................................................................. 7 1.1 What are Renewable Energy Resources? ............................................................................ 7 1.2 Why prepare a RES? ......................................................................................................... 11 1.3 Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 12 1.4 Format of this RES ............................................................................................................ 14 2.0 Renewable Energy Policy Overview & Legislative Context .................................................... 18 2.1 European Policy ............................................................................................................... 18 2.1.1 Directive 2009/28/EC - Promotion of the Use of Energy from Renewable Sources .... 18 2.1.2 EU Targets for non Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Sector emissions ...................... 18 2.2 National Policy ................................................................................................................. 19 2.2.1 Strategy for Renewable Energy 2012-2020, Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources .............................................................................................. 19 2.2.2 The National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) 2010 ...................................... 20 2.2.2 The National Climate Change Strategy (2007-2012) .................................................. 20 2.2.3 National Energy Efficiency Action Plan: Maximising Ireland’s Energy Efficiency, 2013- 2020 (NEEAP) ........................................................................................................... 21 2.2.4 Bioenergy Action Plan for Ireland (2007-2020) .......................................................... 21 2.2.5 National Spatial Strategy 2002 (NSS) ......................................................................... 21 2.2.6 The Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006 .......................... 21 2.2.7 The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 ........................................... 22 2.2.8 Part L of the Second Schedule of the Building Regulations 1997 – 2008 .................... 22 2.2.9 Wind Energy Guidelines and update ......................................................................... 22 2.3 Regional and Local Policy ................................................................................................. 22 2.3.1 South East Regional Planning Guidelines................................................................... 22 2.3.2 South East Regional Authority Bio-Energy Implementation Plan ............................... 24 2.3.3 South Tipperary County Development Plan 2009-2015 ............................................. 24 2.4 Related Renewable Energy Initiatives ............................................................................... 24 1 South Tipperary Renewable Energy Strategy 2014 2.5 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Directive Assessment (Appropriate Assessment) ..................................................................................................................... 25 3.0 County Renewable Energy Resources, current Planning Policy & Barriers ............................. 28 3.1 Wind ................................................................................................................................ 28 3.2 Bioenergy ......................................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Hydro Power .................................................................................................................... 33 3.4 Solar ................................................................................................................................ 35 3.5 Geothermal ...................................................................................................................... 36 4.0 Energy Balance & Renewable Potential Assessment ............................................................. 37 4.1 County Energy Demand (baseline and 2020) .................................................................... 37 4.2 Renewable Energy Production .......................................................................................... 38 4.3 Renewable Energy Potential of the county ......................................................................