The international law firm launched its latest Investors in Energy: Ireland report at an event in Dublin’s Westbury Hotel late last week, which brought together more than 100 senior representatives from across the energy sector.

Timmy Dooley, minister of state in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, also took part in the Ireland’s Energy Market Outlook event.

“Ireland has made significant strides in scaling renewable energy, particularly in onshore wind and solar,” Mr Dooley said in his address.

“The next phase of our energy transition will hinge on ensuring that infrastructure delivery, planning processes and regulatory systems keep pace with the supportive policy and the investment environment we’ve put in place for renewables in Ireland.

“At government level, we are addressing these challenges through the introduction of the Critical Infrastructure Bill and Emergency Powers Bill, both currently being progressed, in order to support and accelerate sustained growth in the years ahead.”

Gavin Blake, partner and head of energy and infrastructure at Addleshaw Goddard Ireland, said: “Ireland’s opportunity is shaped not by demand or capital, but by how effectively delivery is coordinated across the system.

“Grid capacity, planning complexity and infrastructure sequencing are now the critical factors determining how quickly projects can be built and brought online.

“The positive story is that Ireland has already proven it can scale renewables at pace. The next phase is about making that growth dependable and aligned with rising demand through greater stakeholder coordination.”
 
The report concludes that closer co-ordination between the government, regulators, and industry will be critical to sustaining progress.

Aligning infrastructure investment with demand growth, rather than forcing outcomes against system limits, will be essential to maintaining investor confidence and strengthening Ireland’s energy security in a time of unprecedented geopolitical volatility, it says.