Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
199. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total amount of wind power generation on the Irish grid as of the latest figures; the capacity added in 2025; and the projected amount to be added in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72340/25]
View answer200. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the total amount solar power generation on the Irish grid as of the latest figures; the capacity added in 2025; and the projected amount to be added in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72341/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 199 and 200 together.
The Programme for Government 2025 reaffirmed Ireland’s targets of 80% of electricity demand to be met by renewable energy sources, including a target of 9GW of onshore wind generation and 8 GW of solar generation as part of a strategy to decarbonise our power system.
SEAI has calculated the share of energy from renewable sources in gross final consumption of electricity was 41.4% in 2024, up from 40.4% in 2023. Furthermore, according to SEAI, over the last 12 months, 48.3% of indigenous electricity generation was from renewables.
EirGrid's Monthly Renewables Release for November provides provisional data showing 41% of electricity was generated from renewables, up from 34% in the same month last year. The majority of this renewable electricity came from wind with it accounting for 35% of all electricity used last month.
Ireland currently has circa 7.7 GW of installed renewable generation capacity, up from 1.2 GW in 2015. Onshore wind is the largest contributor with circa 5.1 GW of capacity. This is complemented by circa 1.7 GW of solar PV capacity, with Small-scale, Mini and Microgeneration, along with hydro, biomass, and other small sources contributing the remainder. Approximately 1.3 GW of this total has been added in 2025.
Government policy is focused on maintaining this momentum through 2026 and beyond as we deliver on the transition to a renewables led system. This will involve the development of a balanced portfolio of technologies, including solar, storage and flexibility services to complement other measures such as demand-side response, network development and interconnection to ensure a safe and secure electricity system with increased levels of renewables.
This will require unprecedented levels of investment in renewable electricity generation development and in the infrastructure required to expand and strengthen our electricity grid.
The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce was established to accelerate and increase the deployment of onshore renewable electricity generation by ensuring that barriers to the implementation of policies are removed or minimised to the greatest extent possible.
