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Grid Investment or Gridlock? Why Solar Needs Infrastructure to Thrive

Industry
22 Sep 2025

Ireland is on the cusp of a clean energy revolution. Solar power is growing faster than ever, delivering more than 1.7 GW of installed capacity by mid-2025 and meeting a record-breaking 21.1% of peak electricity demand in May. But for solar to truly thrive, we need more than panels and ambition. We need a grid that can keep up.

Right now, Ireland’s electricity grid is our biggest barrier to solar growth.

The problem isn’t generation. It’s connection.

From large-scale solar farms to school rooftops, projects across Ireland are being stalled or scaled back due to grid connection delays, curtailment, and capacity constraints. Rural and community-led projects are particularly hard-hit.

And the pressure is only growing. Electricity demand in Ireland is projected to rise 45% by 2034, driven by:

  • Data centre expansion
  • Growing electric vehicle adoption
  • Heat pump installations
  • Industrial electrification

This rising demand, combined with fast-moving solar deployment, means that without urgent investment, our grid risks becoming a bottleneck that slows the entire transition.

The stakes are high

Failure to meet EU climate targets could cost Ireland up to €26 billion in fines, according to the Climate Change Advisory Council and Fiscal Advisory Council. Without a functioning grid to connect and carry clean electricity, we risk paying to miss our own goals.

And it's not just environmental. A slow or constrained grid will:

  • Increase project costs
  • Undermine investor confidence
  • Raise consumer energy prices
  • Block community energy access

What Solar Ireland is calling for

In our Budget 2026 submission, we are urging Government to:

✅ Deliver a total of €7 billion in grid investment by 2030

  • €2.5 billion already committed in the Programme for Government
  • €4.5 billion additional, in line with recommendations from IFAC, CCAC, and the European Commission

This funding would unlock the infrastructure we need to:

  • Connect new solar projects quickly and affordably
  • Accommodate rising electricity demand
  • Reduce curtailment
  • Ensure rural and community access
  • Support hybrid systems, storage, and smarter grid responses

A European moment

Ireland isn’t alone. The European Commission is calling for €1.2 trillion in electricity grid investment across the EU by 2040. This is our chance to do our part — and ensure Ireland’s grid is not just playing catch-up, but leading in integration and resilience.

“The fastest-growing energy source needs the slowest-moving system to catch up.”
— Ronan Power, CEO, Solar Ireland

Let’s choose investment over inertia

Solar can power a clean, secure, and fair energy future. But only if the wires are there to carry it.

Want to help?