Public Interest
The Commission has decided the following in relation to Public Interest:
The Commission has decided that the public interest criteria are:
Diversity of Fuel Mix
Predictability and power system support
Environmental benefits
Experimental/ Research
Therefore for a generator to be considered to be processed outside the GPA it must fulfil at least one of the above criteria.
The Commission has also decided the following:
The Commission does not have a remit for socio-economic factors and therefore are not considered as part of the criteria for public interest.
Although wind does not form part of the public interest criteria the existing arrangements relating to wind projects up to 0.5MW will be retained and will be only for the establishment of small, one off wind developments that would not otherwise be covered by the autoproducer category and will be limited to a "green field" site, that is, one where either a connection agreement does not exist or if one does where there is not already a pre-existing MEC.
The existing arrangements for micro generation will remain as is.
Network optimisation, extending the public interest to cover specific interest and competition will not form part of the public interest criteria.
Classes of Technology
The Commission has decided the following list of technology or classes of
technology exhibit public interest benefits and are therefore preapproved for processing outside the GPA:
Bioenergy
CHP
Autoproducers
Hydro
Ocean
Wave
Solar