Energy Policy Team

The Energy Policy Team has responsibility for the delivery of a range of key areas for DEFA:

Isle of Man Energy Policy

The Isle of Man Government has legislated to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, and in the interim, has committed to produce 75% of the Island’s electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

The Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture plays a key role in the important work of exploring the possible routes towards Government’s targets and establishment and development of the policies that will lead to their achievement. The Department does this as a participating member of the Environment and Infrastructure Committee and as a significant contributor to the work of the Cabinet Office’s Climate Transformation Board.

Offshore Energy Production Strategy

Strategic priorities approved by Tynwald in 2013, focus upon using our natural resources to work towards building a post carbon fuelled Island, and to identify sustainable ways of reducing the financial and environmental cost of energy in the medium to long term.

The Department works closely with other Departments to explore and promote the potential of the Island’s seabed as sites for future offshore wind farms, tidal generation and for oil and gas exploration.

Manage mineral extraction and collection of Royalty payments

Minerals are essential to the Island’s prosperity, quality of life and help to create and develop sustainable communities. An adequate and steady supply of minerals is therefore essential to provide some of the raw materials necessary for the construction and maintenance of the Island’s built environment.

The Department owns all naturally occurring minerals within Manx territories, with the exception of oil and gas, ownership of which lies with the Department of Infrastructure.

The Department authorises the extraction of minerals via legal agreements, and receives payment in respect of extracted minerals via a royalty payment.  Extraction permissions are predicated on an established demand for the minerals in question, and normally runs parallel to a planning permission.