Shane Corcoran, Policy Analyst at RenewableNI, explains why urgent action is needed to overcome grid and investment barriers in Northern Ireland.  

As the voice of the renewable electricity industry in Northern Ireland, RenewableNI has submitted its response to the Utility Regulator’s consultation on its Draft Forward Work Programme for 2025-2026.

While we welcome the Utility Regulator’s commitment to modernising Northern Ireland’s energy system, our response warns that continued delays to key infrastructure projects and a lack of clear regulatory frameworks risk undermining the 80% by 2030 renewable electricity target. Without urgent action, consumers will continue to face high costs, and Northern Ireland will struggle to attract the investment needed to transition to a cleaner, more secure energy system.

Northern Ireland’s target to reach 80% renewable electricity by 2030 is not an aspiration, it’s a statutory obligation. One that seems increasingly at risk, with renewable generation levels having fallen from the peak of 51% in 2022. That’s why, in our response to the consultation, RenewableNI set out our priority recommendations to get things back on track – and quickly.

Without urgent action, we may as well say goodbye to our “80 by 30” target. If delays to key infrastructure projects continue to halt progress and those with the power to make change don’t produce clear and meaningful regulatory frameworks – and soon – not only will consumers be left with relentlessly high costs, but Northern Ireland will struggle to attract the investment needed to transition to a cleaner and more secure energy system.

Northern Ireland’s progress toward 80 by 30 has been far too slow. Grid constraints, firm access barriers, and market uncertainty continue to delay investment in new renewable generation, creating a real risk that the region will fall short of its commitments. In 2024, through a process known as ‘dispatch down’, renewable generators were turned off 30% of the time when they could have been generating. These unprecedented levels are enduring and are a major deterrent to future investment.

A failure to decarbonise the power sector at a pace commensurate with the climate crisis will not only undermine climate and energy security goals but will also leave Northern Ireland exposed to higher energy costs, lost economic investment, and continued reliance on fossil fuels.

RenewableNI’s four key recommendations to the Utility Regulator’s consultation include:

1. Accelerating Grid Investment – Consumers pay the price for delays to reinforcements. For example, SONI estimates that not having the second North-South Interconnector, is costing bill payers an estimated £55,000 per day. A strategy to reduce dispatch down, which reached 30% in 2024, is essential to making full use of Northern Ireland’s renewable resources.
2. Developing a Policy for Long-Duration Energy Storage – Energy storage is critical to balancing the grid and integrating high levels of renewables. However, the Utility Regulator’s work programme does not include a framework for long-duration energy storage. Without clear policies, Northern Ireland risks continued reliance on fossil fuels and costly interconnector imports instead of harnessing its own clean energy. We urge the Regulator to prioritise storage policy.
3. Strengthening Market Confidence – Investor confidence in Northern Ireland is declining due to regulatory uncertainty. Even before the current dispatch down crisis, 82% of industry respondents did not see Northern Ireland as an attractive place to invest. A clear, long-term regulatory framework is needed to provide certainty for developers and ensure competitive pricing in the upcoming Renewable Electricity Support Scheme auctions.
4. Improving Grid Capacity and Network Access – The ability to efficiently connect and utilise renewable electricity is vital to meeting climate targets. Ensuring a clear, forward-looking approach to network access, including prioritising a firm access review, will be key to giving developers the confidence to invest in new projects.