Coal Ends, Solar Surges: Ireland’s Energy Transition Reaches a New Milestone
Last month marked the first time in 40 years that coal played no role in Ireland’s electricity mix. With Moneypoint’s coal-fired generation now a thing of the past, we have entered the post-coal era – and the question is no longer whether renewables can fill the gap, but how quickly we can build the capacity to do so.
The latest EirGrid figures show wind supplied 24% of Ireland’s electricity in July. Solar, though still smaller in absolute terms, set a new record: 798 MW of electricity from grid-connected solar farms. That’s 4% more than our previous high and enough for solar to meet close to 6% of all electricity demand in July – in the Irish climate, no less.
This is more than a summer story. It’s evidence of the solar revolution happening on rooftops, in fields, and in hybrid systems nationwide. In June, Scale of Solar 2025 showed:
- 1.76 GW of installed capacity – up 160% since 2023.
- Solar met 6.5% of total demand in May – double the figure from a year earlier.
- The sector is delivering tangible economic and social benefits, from €2.3–€2.7 billion in potential GVA by 2030, to thousands of jobs, community benefit funds, and biodiversity projects.
Yet as the RTÉ piece notes, Ireland is falling behind in enabling this growth. Planning delays, grid constraints, and permitting bottlenecks risk slowing progress just when we need it most.
“The end of coal in Ireland is more than a symbolic moment, it’s a signal to accelerate. Solar is already proving it can deliver at scale, meeting close to 6% of electricity demand in July and growing faster than any other renewable. But to truly seize this post-coal opportunity, we need to remove the barriers holding projects back. With the right planning, grid, and market frameworks, Ireland can power its future with clean, homegrown energy – and do it in time to meet our 2030 targets.” – Ronan Power, CEO, Solar Ireland
The end of coal should be a springboard for accelerating renewables – and that means solar and wind together. They are complementary technologies that, when combined, can deliver a more stable, balanced and resilient electricity supply.
We have the technology. We have the ambition. Now we need the system – planning, grid, and market – to keep building generation for generations.