Policy information
Renewable Electricity
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
Published on
Last updated on
Renewable electricity plays a crucial role in Ireland’s efforts to combat climate change. Under the Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23), Government has set an ambitious target of having an 80% share of electricity generation capacity coming from renewable sources by 2030 to create a more sustainable and resilient energy system for the future.
This CAP23 was launched on 21 December 2022. It is the first plan to be prepared under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021, following the introduction of economy-wide carbon budgets and sectoral emissions ceilings.
Ireland has traditionally imported a significant amount of its energy, mainly from fossil fuel sources. By investing in renewable electricity, Ireland will reduce its reliance on imported fuels which will enhance our countries energy security and independence. Reducing reliance on fossil fuels will also improve air quality and mitigate the negative health impacts associated with pollution, such as respiratory diseases.
The development and expansion of renewable energy infrastructure creates jobs across various sectors, including engineering, construction, maintenance, and research. It also attracts investment, stimulates local economies, and encourages innovation in clean technologies.
Ireland is making significant progress in increasing its renewable electricity capacity. Wind energy has been the primary driver, through substantial investments in onshore and offshore wind farms. Ireland has abundant wind resources and is one of the leading countries in wind energy per capita.
Solar capacity is also increasing through support from government incentives and technological advancements. Solar plays an important role in Ireland’s efforts to transition towards a more sustainable and decarbonized energy system. There is a strong focus on large-scale solar farms and rooftop installations across residential, commercial and industrial sectors. More information is available on the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) website on how solar energy is produced.
Wind energy provides an emissions free, clean and renewable energy source. For more information on how energy is produced from wind, please see the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) information on wind energy.
Onshore wind power refers to turbines located on land that use wind to generate electricity. Ireland’s first commercial wind farm was commissioned at Bellacorrick, Co Mayo in 1992. There are now over 250 windfarms currently in operation, with a total installed capacity of 3,700 MegaWatts (MW). A megawatt is a unit for measuring power that is equivalent to one million watts. The largest windfarm in the country has an installed capacity of 169 MW.
If we are to reach our 2030 renewable electricity target, the build rate of onshore wind farms must accelerate from an historic average of 180 MW per year to at least 250 MW per year.
The SEAI produce an annual Energy in Ireland Report detailing the latest official statistics on energy use in Ireland.
The Wind Energy Development Guidelines relate to onshore wind developments. They will be used by An Bord Pleanála and planning authorities to determine planning applications and appeals and in the creation of local development plans. They set the context for wind energy considerations in these respects and will affect future wind energy development proposals. These will include the renewal and repowering of existing wind energy development consents.
A copy of the draft proposed Wind Energy Development Guidelines and associated environmental reports, which were subject to public consultation earlier in 2020 are available on the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government's website.
The Irish government has been accelerating policy on renewable offshore wind energy and Ireland has now moved to a plan-led approach to deliver our offshore wind targets. When our current government was formed, it signed up to an ambitious programme for government which included the delivery of 5 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030. We have now ensured that that programme went further, with a further 2GW earmarked for the production of green hydrogen and other non-grid uses and by developing a Future Framework for the delivery of 20GW of offshore wind by 2040 and at least 37GW in total by 2050.
The Government’s phased approach to offshore wind development involves:
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) chairs the Offshore Wind Delivery Taskforce , which is co-ordinating the full range of activities required to maximise the economic benefits of offshore wind development to the State. The Taskforce is involved in identifying all aspects of work on the critical path to delivery of offshore wind and proactively identifying risks and managing associated mitigation measures.
The key actions under the Taskforce’s Offshore Wind Energy Programme include measures relating to supply chain, ports policy, skills and workforce, and regulatory consenting.
The National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) is Ireland’s first national marine spatial plan and brings together all marine-based human activities for the first time, outlining the Government’s vision, objectives and marine planning policies for each marine activity.
The NMPF details how these marine activities will interact with each other in an ocean space that is under increasing spatial pressure, ensuring the sustainable use of our marine resources to 2040.
The NMPF is the marine equivalent to the National Planning Framework. This approach will enable the Government to:
The NMPF has been prepared with an ecosystem-based approach and informed by best available knowledge. As part of the preparation of the NMPF, a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Appropriate Assessment (AA) have been carried out. The delivery of the offshore renewables targets will be plan-led in the context of this NMPF, underpinned by the new development management system established by the Maritime Area Planning Act, 2021.
The Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act is the State’s leading response to the much-needed reform of marine governance. The Act provides the legal underpinning to an entirely new marine planning system, which will balance harnessing our huge offshore wind potential with protecting our rich and unique marine environment. The Act is a key enabler of Ireland’s decarbonisation goals and provides for a completely new regime for the entire maritime Area underpinned by the National Marine Planning Framework. Foreshore Consents will be replaced by a more focused and streamlined Maritime Area Consent regime. The planning permission system will be extended into the entire maritime area with development subject to a single comprehensive environmental assessment. Compliance and enforcement activities are supported through robust provisions.
One of the main features of the MAP Act is the creation of a new State consent, the Maritime Area Consent (MAC), as a first step in the new planning process. To make achievement of our 2030 targets feasible, a pathway was provided to enable a select number of projects which had advanced under the existing Foreshore regime to transition to the new MAC regime.
These Phase One projects are the first offshore renewable energy projects which will contribute to Ireland’s energy and climate targets. Phase Two projects and beyond will be assessed by the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) which was established on 17 July 2023. This new Agency marks the transition to the new maritime consenting regime and will be a key enabler in respect of Ireland’s ambitions for the Offshore Renewable Energy sector.
The Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) is an auction-based scheme which invites renewable electricity projects to bid for capacity and receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate.
Ireland’s first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, took place in 2023. The results underscored the State’s ambitions within the offshore renewable wind energy sector. The hugely-competitive price secured – at an average of €86.05/MWh (megawatt hour) – is one of the lowest prices paid by an emerging offshore wind market in the world. Over 3GW of capacity has been procured from four Phase One offshore wind projects under ORESS1, which will deliver over 12TWh (Terawatt hours) of renewable electricity per year. This is the largest volume of renewable energy Ireland has ever procured at auction. It is also enough to power over 2.5 million Irish homes with clean electricity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 1 million tonnes in 2030.
Phase Two is an accelerated work programme, focusing on near-term delivery based on technology with proven scalability in other jurisdictions and which will procure the additional offshore wind capacity required to meet Government’s 2030 target.
In March 2023, Ireland’s Government published a Policy Statement on the Framework for Phase Two Offshore Wind, which sets out a plan-led approach to meet its ambitions. The deployment of offshore wind under Phase Two will procure the additional offshore wind capacity required to meet the Government’s target of 5GW of offshore wind by 2030.
The plan-led approach will:
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On 13 July 2023 Minister Ryan launched the first Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) for Offshore Renewable Energy - The South Coast DMAP Proposal - which will identify marine areas for future offshore wind projects off the South Coast of Ireland. This includes marine areas suitable for deployment of offshore wind by 2030 and post-2030.
The initial proposed geographical area of the South Coast DMAP Proposal is approximately 8,600 square kilometres in size, located off the South and South-East coast, from counties Wexford, Waterford and Cork. The area extends from the High Water Mark on Ireland’s South Coast to the 80-metre depth contour and/or the edge of the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The proposal puts forward an initial ‘proposed’ geographical area off Ireland’s South and South-east coast within which future offshore renewable energy development may take place. This area will be refined through a process of public engagement and consultation, expert environmental impact assessments and other expert analysis of the maritime areas, to assess its suitability for offshore renewable energy development.
Ireland’s second offshore wind energy auction, ORESS 2.1, is set to launch in 2024. ORESS 2.1 will be the first tender to take place in Phase Two and will procure up to 900MW of capacity from a State-selected provisional ‘designated area’ - a ‘Designated Maritime Area Plan’ (DMAP) off Ireland’s south coast. Further ORESS 2 auctions within State-selected development areas are expected in Phase 2.
In November 2023, as part of a co-ordinated launch with member countries of the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC), Ireland published a schedule of offshore wind auctions to 2030, totalling over 13GW of capacity to be deployed by 2040. This is in addition to the 3GW awarded in Ireland’s first offshore wind auction, ORESS 1, and exclusive to the maritime basins within the NSEC area (the Irish and Celtic Seas). Ireland’s total offshore wind target for 2040 (including the Atlantic basin) remains 20GW.
The long-term model and vision for offshore renewable energy in Ireland is called the Future Framework. This policy will be published in early 2024 and will set out a framework for the delivery of 37GW of offshore wind by 2050. This vision for achieving our renewable energy goals is shared across Government and the regulatory framework that will be put in place will ensure that the economic, environmental and societal benefits are realised for all our citizens and stakeholders, now and into the future.
A draft Future Framework policy policy for post-2030 deployment of offshore wind was published for consultation in January 2024. A final version will be approved by Government and published in April 2024.
The establishment of Community Benefit Funds (CBF) ensure that local regions and communities will share in the collective benefit of hosting renewable energy developments. DECC developed the CBF in close collaboration with communities, fund administrators, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the North Seas Energy Co-operation and the international offshore wind industry. The development process included two public consultations, leading to a highly robust scheme which empowers community decision-making and ensures that Irish communities benefit from one of the highest renewable energy revenue sharing models in the world.
Mandatory CBF payments valued at €2 per MW hour of generation will be made within the first year of construction of an offshore wind project, continuing through the construction phase and for the support period of the project, approximately 20 years. For the typical 1GW project, the value will amount to approximately €8 million per annum. Each project must appoint a professional Fund Administrator to maximise the opportunities of the fund for the local community (to include those in the fishing industry, seafood culture, tourism and maritime heritage). The scale of the CBFs provide a valuable opportunity for local communities to use them for substantive and meaningful initiatives. The local CBF Committee makes all the funding decisions and can undertake planned, multi-year projects.
The National Policy Statement on Electricity Interconnection was published in July 2023. The policy statement includes Ireland’s aims for further interconnection to Great Britain and to the Continental International Energy Market and also realises the potential for Irish hybrid Interconnector projects. Irelands future Interconnectivity ambitions under the 2023 policy statement will be complemented and driven by our Offshore Transmission Strategy which will be published in 2024. The Offshore Transmission Strategy intends to set out the interconnection and offshore grid requirements for Ireland.
There is currently one electricity interconnector between Ireland and Great Britain, the East West Interconnector (EWIC). There are two further proposed interconnectors at an advanced stage of pre-construction development, the Celtic Interconnector, between Ireland and France in which construction activity has begun, and the Greenlink Interconnector, between Wexford and Wales which is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2024. The MaresConnect, a point-to-point interconnector project from Ireland to Great Britain is well progressed and is currently in development phase. It has just recently progressed under the new round of the TYNDP 2024 application process.
To assist the development of offshore renewable energy in Ireland, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment has published guidance documents to support different stakeholders.
Ocean Energy Ireland is Ireland's marine renewable energy portal that has been developed by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and the Marine Institute. The portal was developed in accordance with requirements set out under the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP).
The portal guides people through the supports available in Ireland for the development of the marine renewable energy sector. It provides access to marine data, maps tools, funding and information relevant to renewable energy assessment, development and management.
The portal will continue to develop over time and it is intended to become a useful platform for all developers who can engage with relevant support sectors in Ireland and obtain the most relevant and up to date information.
Micro-generation is the general term used to refer to the generation of electricity from renewable technologies including solar photovoltaic (PV), micro-wind, micro-hydro and micro-renewable combined heat and power (CHP).
The Government approved a new Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) design on 21 December 2021 to support 380MW of new micro-generation capacity by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan. This would generate over 300 GWh of renewable electricity per annum, with the potential to abate 1.4 million tonnes of CO2eq over the lifetime of the installations.
This amounts to 60,000 homes and 9,000 non-domestic installations, such as small farms, businesses, schools and community groups. The MSS provides support to domestic and non-domestic applicants for renewable installations up to 50kW. These applicants will also be eligible to avail of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff.
The Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents a key aspect of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro-and small-scale generators in Ireland which allows them to receive payment from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value of the electricity. The CEG became available when signed into Irish law on 15 February 2022, to both new and existing micro and small-scale generators.
Read more on Micro-generation
The Climate Action Plan 2021 also committed to the development of a support scheme for small-scale non domestic generators (above 50kW, but smaller than those supported under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). This scheme will enable larger businesses, farms and community projects to maximise their participation in the energy transition.
A consultation on proposed high-level design features of the scheme took place in 2022. Government has now approved the high level design of the new scheme, to be called the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS), and it will be published shortly. The final terms and conditions are now being developed and it is expected that the scheme will launch later in 2023.
In addition, on 30 September 2022, ESB Networks opened a pilot scheme for Small-Scale Generation. The initial scope of the pilot is to run for six months and enable up to 100 connections in this range. Feedback and learnings will be taken throughout the duration of the pilot and will be used to develop and enhance our future generator connection process.
As part of the overall target of having 80% of Ireland’s electricity being met from renewable sources by 2030, CAP 23 sets out that Ireland is targeting 9 GW of onshore wind and 8 GW of solar electricity generation capacity, as well as delivery of required long-term storage and major acceleration to the overall flexibility of the electricity system.
The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce was established to identify, coordinate, and prioritise the required policies to achieve the onshore renewable electricity targets, as set out in the CAP, and to ensure that barriers to the implementation of such policies are removed or minimised to the greatest extent possible.
Under Action EL/23/2 of CAP23, we are currently preparing the Renewable Electricity Spatial Policy Framework (RESPF). In effect, this will be the national policy for onshore renewable electricity and will inform and reshape the development and distribution of onshore renewables in order to enable the delivery of Ireland’s renewable electricity targets, as set out in CAP23.
The RESPF will promote a plan-led and evidence-based approach to the allocation of renewable electricity spatial and generation targets across the three Regional Assemblies, to facilitate the achievement of the national target of 80% RES-E by 2030.
The objective of this spatial policy framework is to effectively translate renewable electricity objectives, as those outlined in Climate Action Plan 2023, to the regional level and allocate regional spatial and renewable generation capacity targets. This will then form the basis under which specific targets at local authority level can be established and subsequently planned for.
To encourage the production of renewable electricity and provide certainty and confidence to producers, the government developed a range of support mechanisms which would guarantee minimum prices and allow communities to benefit from this development.
The Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes were designed to ensure Ireland meets its goal of 40% of electricity coming from renewable sources by 2020. They also provided certainty to renewable electricity generators by providing them with a minimum price for each unit of electricity exported to the grid over a 15 year period.
The last REFIT schemes closed in December 2015. The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment decided in December 2016 to extend a number of deadlines that apply under the existing terms and conditions of REFIT 2 support scheme and the REFIT Clarification Notice that was published in November 2015.
In parallel with the market developments, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) is developing a new support scheme for renewable electricity, the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). The scheme will be subject to the new rules on public support for projects in the field of energy, adopted by the European Commission in 2014, which seek to promote a gradual move to market-based support for renewable energy.
The Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy is a charge placed on all electricity customers without exception. The Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) schemes/supports are funded by the PSO levy.
The PSO levy has been in place since 2001 and is an overall support mechanism for peat generation, for certain conventional generation constructed for security of supply purposes, and for the development of renewable electricity. The levy compensates electricity suppliers for the additional costs they incur by purchasing electricity generated by these producers.
The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) determines the PSO levy. Regulations made under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 provide the legal basis for the levy.
The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) is an auction-based scheme which invites renewable electricity projects to bid for capacity and receive a guaranteed price for the electricity they generate.
An important part of the Climate Action Plan is to increase the amount of electricity generated in Ireland by renewable projects. The scheme aims to aid meeting our target of up to 80% of our energy generated from renewable sources by 2030.
RESS auctions will be held frequently to ensure the best price is obtained for the consumer. Frequent auctions mean any reduction in technology costs can be passed on to the consumer and allows for multiple opportunities for developers to have new technologies included, potentially generating energy more efficiently at a lower cost.
The latest auction timetable along with information on how to register to participate in the RESS can be found at the EirGrid website.