PVTIME – According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s 2025 Energy Report, Ireland’s energy transition has advanced substantially over the past two years, with sharp growth in grid-scale solar generation in 2025 as the country launches its largest-ever grid infrastructure investment.
Preliminary SEAI data indicates that grid-scale solar output averaged 0.99TWh per month during the first nine months of 2025, marking an increase of over 30% compared to 2024’s average of 0.73TWh. Full-year 2024 generation reached 1.09TWh, with two-thirds coming from utility-scale plants and one-third from rooftops. By the end of 2025, national solar capacity had exceeded 2GW, with rooftop systems surpassing 1GW for the first time, establishing a distributed generation network. This growth has diversified the wind-dominant energy mix and reflects aligned policy, subsidy and market mechanisms.
In order to address the rising demand for power, the government and the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities have launched the €18.9 billion Price Review 6 investment plan for the period 2026–2030. The International Energy Agency’s Powering Ireland’s Energy Future report identifies heating and transport electrification, as well as the expansion of data centres, as key drivers of this growth.
The government will provide €3.5 billion in equity, with €1.5 billion allocated to ESB Networks by the end of 2025 for onshore grid works. Priorities include upgrading ageing lines, increasing transmission capacity, connecting 300,000 new homes by 2030, supporting one million electric vehicles and heat pumps, and implementing annual network resilience plans for extreme weather.
Energy Minister Darragh O’Brien described PR6 as the most significant infrastructure project since the rural electrification programme, stating that it will provide power for housing, industry and digital transformation, while reducing reliance on the international gas market. As well as expansion, the plan will enhance system resilience and flexibility through smarter monitoring, storage and dispatch, enabling high levels of renewable energy penetration.
The IEA emphasises that grid modernisation, storage expansion and digital management are vital for Ireland’s power stability and economic competitiveness. Data from 2025 confirms that generation growth must be matched by grid progress. PR6 will equip the network to accommodate diverse renewables, as well as future smart grid, virtual power plant and storage systems.
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