Energy Policy
Dail Éireann — 2026-06-09
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Noel Grealish (IND), Galway West

I am taking this on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, who is out of the country. Ireland is fully committed to an ambitious and just green transition, which is essential not only from an environmental perspective, but is also required to reduce our reliance on expensive imported fossil fuels. This involves remaining abreast of new technologies in order to support the integration of increasing volumes of renewables and to further support the use of surplus energy to reduce the amount of wasted energy. Some major challenges exist for electricity systems like ours which are increasingly powered by renewables. These complex issues can only be addressed by taking a systematic approach requiring investment in grid, storage and demand flexibility.
The Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment has engaged widely with relevant stakeholders to identify areas for co-operation in relation to tackling energy poverty and renewable energy waste. A number of key measures are currently under way. First is grid enhancement and interconnection. We are investing €18.9 billion in network infrastructure. The Greenlink interconnector, completed in April 2025, and the forthcoming Celtic interconnector with France will allow us to export surplus energy to European markets during periods of high generation.
Second is the national energy affordability action plan. Through the national energy affordability task force, we are developing an action plan to be published in late 2026. A primary objective is to identify solutions that allow household, particularly those in energy poverty, to avail of low-cost surplus renewable energy.
Third is the electricity storage policy framework. Following the publication of our battery storage framework, we are accelerating the deployment of long-duration storage and batteries. In addition, we are increasing battery capacity to buffer the grid during peak production.
The fourth is the national hydrogen programme. Our new national hydrogen programme task force is overseeing a work programme to develop green hydrogen as a long-term storage solution for surplus wind and solar power.
Fifth is the smart grid and demand response. Through the CRU and ESB Networks, we are expanding "Beat the Peak" initiatives and smart meter incentives, encouraging consumers and large energy users to shift their demand to times of high renewable surplus. The national energy demand strategy aims to make 20% to 30% of electricity demand flexible by 2030. A key aspect of this strategy is preparing households and businesses to maximise their use of renewables.
The sixth is district heating. We are advancing the development of district heating systems to take excess heat from large energy users and other sources to power district heating solutions for both households and businesses.
Finally, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment will also lead the development of an integrated strategy on the use of renewable surplus energy, which will co-ordinate technical grid limits, flexible demand, storage deployment and interconnector flows to maximise the use of renewable energy units.
These measures clearly demonstrate our commitment to a just and green transition while managing the current energy affordability strains on households in Ireland.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-06-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:05+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-09