We published the Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap Version 1.0 in November 2021. Version 1.0 reflected the climate change policies of Ireland and Northern Ireland at that time, since then things have changed. We have prepared an update to the Roadmap — Shaping Our Electricity Future Version 1.1.
The grid requires unprecedented change in the lead up to 2030. The main objective of this Roadmap is to outline how we can make the grid ready so that 80% of Ireland’s and Northern Ireland’s electricity can come from renewable sources, like the wind and sun, by 2030. These targets, and new limits to carbon emissions, are the product of updates to climate change policies in 2022.
To achieve these targets by 2030, more energy from renewable sources needs to be connected to the power system. This means that the electricity grid will need to carry more power from energy sources that vary depending on the weather. This power will also need to be carried over longer distances. As a result, we need to make the grid stronger and more flexible. This Roadmap outlines the changes needed to do that.
To inform this updated Roadmap we engaged with stakeholder groups through a call for inputs from the energy industry and academia in July 2022. This ran for a period of six weeks, and we received 29 responses across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
While this Roadmap is based on what we can do, it also considers how others in the electricity ecosystem can help achieve these targets by 2030.
Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap Version 1.0:
We held an industry forum in 2021 to mark the launch of the Version 1.0 Roadmap. This was to inform industry stakeholders about the Roadmap's contents:
Find out what the future of the electricity grid will look like in your region and register for our upcoming roadshow events by visiting our Energy Citizens Roadshow webpage.
During 2021 we conducted a comprehensive public consultation on Version 1.0 of the Roadmap, engaging through traditional and innovative methods to make sure all voices were heard. The four approaches in Shaping Our Electricity Future Version 1.0 comprised the following:
Between Monday 8 March and Monday 14 June, EirGrid held a series of online workshops, meetings and fora across the country to inform people and gather feedback that directly influenced the final Version 1.0 Roadmap. The consultation material was prepared with the support of the National Adult Literacy Agency to ensure the language was accessible to non-technical audiences.
In addition to this, EirGrid launched a new consultation portal at consult.eirgrid.ie that hosted the consultation material and acted as an accessible platform for people to submit their views.
2021 Consultation Reports
Partner Reports
The following reports were compiled with partners we collaborated with in the delivery of the Shaping Our Electricity Future Version 1.0 consultation and engagement programme. These reports were compiled by our partners and were considered in the development of the Version 1.0 Roadmap.
Eirgrid and SONI established the Shaping Our Electricity Future Advisory Council after assessing potential options for facilitating ongoing industry engagement on the issues, challenges and activities set out in the Shaping Our Electricity Future Roadmap.
Click here to view the Open Letter: Establishment of Shaping Our Electricity Future Advisory Council.
Meeting 5 – June 2023: The presentation from the Advisory Council in June 2023 is available to review here. The minutes are available here.
Meeting 4 – March 2023: The presentation from the Advisory Council in March 2023 is available to review here. The minutes are available here
Meeting 3 – Jan 2023: The Presentation from the Advisory Council in January 2023 is available to review here. The minutes are available here.
Meeting 2 – September 2022. The presentation from the Advisory Council in September 2022 is available to review here. The minutes are available here.
Meeting 1 – May 2022. The presentation from the Advisory Council in May 2022 is available to review here and other materials presented are available here.
Council Members Privacy Statement: EirGrid and SONI have drafted this Privacy Notice in an easy and comprehensible way in order to help you understand who we are, what Personal Data we collect about you, why we collect it, and what we do with it during the SOEF engagements. This document also explains your rights in relation to how we hold and use your Personal Data in relation to the SOEF activities of EirGrid, how to exercise those rights, and what to do if more information is required or a complaint is to be made.