Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
232. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proportion of the 2030 target for onshore wind that has been achieved (energised) to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54738/26]
View answer234. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the proportion of the 2030 target for solar PV that has been achieved (energised) to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54740/26]
View answerI propose to take Question No 232 and Question No 234 together.
Ireland currently has almost 8.2 gigawatts of renewable generation capacity. Onshore wind is the largest contributor to this, with over 5 gigawatts of wind generation capacity. Solar PV is next with over 2.6 gigawatts installed, with the remaining c. 0.5 gigawatts made up of hydro, biomass, and other small sources.
Across Government, policies are being implemented at pace to accelerate and increase the deployment of onshore renewable generation capacity under the aegis of the Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce. These include the holding of five Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auctions since 2020, the inclusion of Regional Renewable Electricity Capacity Allocations in the revised NPF, and the introduction of ECP-GSS, a new electricity connection policy to increase the connection of renewable projects. The next RESS auction, RESS 6, is due to commence soon and I expect to see strong competition from both solar and wind farm developers.
Onshore wind is fundamental to our transition to a renewables led energy system to supply homes and businesses. While nearly 57% of the national target for onshore wind of 9 gigawatts set out under the Climate Action Plan has been connected to date, a strong pipeline of projects are being brought forward through the planning, grid connection, and consenting processes.
Solar, both utility-scale and embedded, is Ireland's fastest growing source of renewable generation and we have currently reached just under 33% of the national target of 8 gigawatts. Utility-scale solar is now Ireland's third largest source of indigenous electricity generation, while embedded solar is having a significant impact on reducing grid demand during periods of high solar generation.
