viewEnergy Insight 5:
Why Ireland’s Infrastructure Is Uneven
Ireland’s energy infrastructure has grown unevenly. Wind generation expanded rapidly. Storage did not. Transmission strengthened in some regions and lagged in others. Tariffs remained tied to fossil assumptions. Flexible demand was never developed. This uneven growth creates inefficiency and waste.
Modernising infrastructure is essential to using the energy we already produce.
viewEnergy Insight 4:
The Cost of Imported Fossil Fuels
Ireland imports most of its energy. Fossil fuels cost the economy billions every year. They expose Ireland to geopolitical shocks and price volatility. Every unit of spilled renewable energy increases fossil reliance and increases national exposure to external risk.
Reducing fossil imports is an economic and strategic priority.
viewEnergy Insight 3:
Why Surplus Wind Appears at Night
Wind generation is strongest at night and during storms. Demand is lowest at night. Ireland’s tariff system was designed for fossil baseload, not wind. As a result, the system often has surplus renewable energy when households and businesses are using the least electricity.
This mismatch is structural, not behavioural.
viewEnergy Insight 2:
Ireland's Spilled Energy Numbers
Ireland spills an estimated five to seven and a half terawatt hours of clean electricity each year. This is roughly €600 to €800 million worth of energy. It represents 1.75 to 3 million tonnes of avoidable CO₂ because spilled wind is replaced by fossil generation.
Spilled energy is wasted climate progress and wasted national capability.
viewEnergy Insight 1:
What Curtailment Means
Curtailment is when renewable electricity is available but cannot be used. Wind farms are asked to reduce output because the system cannot absorb the energy. This happens when demand is low, transmission is constrained, storage is insufficient, or fossil generation cannot ramp down quickly enough.
Curtailment is not a failure of renewables.
It is a sign that the system around them has not yet been modernised.