Minister O'Brien welcomes IEA assessment of Ireland's Energy Security to 2035
- Published on: 18 December 2025
- Last updated on: 19 December 2025
IEA report demonstrates Ireland is a global frontrunner in integrating renewables; strategic choices lie ahead to ensure energy security in the coming decade
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has welcomed the publication of a landmark report from the International Energy Agency, (IEA) 'Powering Ireland's Energy Future', which assesses Ireland's energy security into the 2030s. Minister O'Brien met with IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol in Paris to mark the launch of the report.
The analysis notes that as Ireland's energy, climate and socio-economic goals align around the electricity system, this could lead to demand potentially doubling and require faster delivery of infrastructure and renewables. There are significant challenges and opportunities ahead to align planning and policies across key sectors of the economy – to support a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
Today's developments also included a landmark pledge from Ireland of €5 million over 5 years towards the IEA’s Clean Energy Transition Programme (CETP). The CETP is the IEA's flagship programme for achieving a clean energy transformation worldwide. This Voluntary Contribution will help to address global issues of significant importance, including the urgency of universal access to clean cooking, the imperative of people-centred energy transitions, and the exigency of rebuilding Ukraine's energy sector.
4 key questions are addressed by the analysis in the IEA's 'Powering Ireland's Energy Future' report:
- What is the role of the power sector in enhancing decarbonisation and energy security in Ireland?
- What could be the adequacy, stability and flexibility challenges in the Irish power system towards 2035?
- What cross-sectoral considerations are relevant to ensure energy security?
- What are the key policy areas where action is needed?
The study provides an independent technical assessment of the role of the power sector in achieving Ireland's policy objectives of decarbonisation and energy security. It examines the emerging power system security challenges in the context of the energy transition and provides an authoritative, independent assessment on the stability of the electricity system, and the wider role of the power sector in the decarbonisation of transport, heating and industry.
Minister O'Brien welcomed the publication of the report by the IEA today, saying:
"I warmly welcome the publication of this timely and detailed review of Ireland's energy system as we continue to transition towards a renewables-led and decarbonised future. I would like to thank all those who contributed to the review across government, the energy sector, and technical experts, as well as the IEA for their expertise in leading the analysis.
"This technical assessment by the IEA will serve as a starting point for a cross-government programme of work in 2026 to consult on the role of the energy sector in delivering security, competitiveness, and sustainability across Irish society into the 2030s."
IEA Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol said:
"Ireland has shown that an island-based power system can successfully integrate very high shares of variable electricity generation, while maintaining a focus on energy security. As electricity demand grows strongly in the coming decade, this report highlights how coordinated planning, timely investment and continued innovation in power grids can help Ireland make progress on its electrification ambitions, as well as on its energy security, affordability and emissions reduction goals."
The analysis provides recommendations across 5 key areas:
- Creation of a cross-sectoral energy security strategy for the 2030s
- Developing enabling infrastructure
- Accelerating generation capacity, storage, and demand-side flexibility
- Enabling the secure operation of a highly-renewable power system
- Advancing critical cross-cutting enablers
The report can be viewed on the IEA website.
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
The IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an international intergovernmental organisation that provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector to 32 member countries, and 13 association countries which collectively account for approximately 75% of global energy demand. Ireland joined as a founding member in 1974 and considers the work of the IEA to be instrumental to states in addressing contemporary energy issues such as decarbonisation, efficiency improvements, and security of supply. Ireland is represented at senior levels in the IEA by officials from the Department of Climate, Energy, and the Environment (DCEE), and from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), participating in Working Parties, Standing Groups, Committees, and Technical Collaboration Programmes. Along with France, Ireland co-chaired the 2024 IEA Ministerial, where the COP28 goals of global trebling of renewables and doubling of efficiency improvements were affirmed.
Study context
In 2024, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment engaged the International Energy Agency (IEA) to undertake an energy security study for Ireland in the context of recommendations in the McCarthy Review of Electricity Security of Supply, and the 2024 IEA policy Review of Ireland (IDR). The IEA's analysis builds on the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment's Energy Security in Ireland to 2030 report, and considers an extended timeframe out to 2035.
As part of this assessment the IEA held workshops and bilateral meetings with key stakeholders across government, industry, NGOs, and academia in Dublin (25-26 February 2025) and carried out a peer review process in June 2025 prior to completing their final report.