Renewable electricity generation in Northern Ireland has fallen once again, leaving the region behind in its efforts to meet Climate Change Act obligations.
Figures released in the Department for the Economy’s latest Renewable Electricity Generation Report show a fall of 2.4 percentage points in the year to March 2025 compared to the previous 12-month period – and a drop of 8 percentage points from Northern Ireland’s peak renewable generation in 2022.
The statistics, published quarterly based on the previous year, show renewable generation accounted for 43% of total metered electricity consumption in the year to March. This is down from the record of 51% in the calendar year 2022, when 3,825GW was generated from renewable sources in Northern Ireland.
Steven Agnew, Director RenewableNI, said:
“What we’re seeing here is death by a thousand cuts, a steady decline in renewable generation in Northern Ireland at a time when the trajectory should be soaring in the opposite direction. Today’s figures should be ringing serious alarm bells for our policy makers – and sadly, not for the first time.
“Once again, we are calling for significant action to be taken, and quickly, as Northern Ireland’s deadline to reach 80% renewables by 2030 grows closer by the day. This is not optional buy-in, it’s a statutory commitment and one that will not happen without proactive moves. We must reverse this trend of decline and get renewable electricity generation figures back on an upwards trajectory, where they need to be.”
RenewableNI’s recommended steps to address the downward generation trend:
- A commitment to complete the North South Interconnector before 2030. This long-awaited and much-discussed project has the potential to cut dispatch down by half, leaving NI in a position to send more electricity to ROI, where demand is higher.
- Prioritise delivery of the new renewable electricity support scheme. More renewables will mean lower prices, enabling us to export more often to GB, rather than relying on imports – potentially unlocking millions of pounds for the local economy.
- And crucially, long duration energy storage (LDES) is essential if we truly want to make progress. An effective system would enable electricity generated during high winds to be stored for release at times of peak demand. This could be a game-changer for NI and yet, while the technology is there, the policy and procurement frameworks are failing to keep up.
Steven Agnew added:
“What’s crucial to keep in mind is that not only is Northern Ireland obliged to reach 80% renewables by 2030 through the Climate Act, achieving this goal will bring significant rewards with it for our economy, the environment and consumers.
“Policy makers need to sit up and work together to harness the huge potential of renewable energy in Northern Ireland, and ensure this seemingly endless decline is brought to a short, sharp stop.”