Energy

The Irish energy system is still dependent on fossil fuels. While transformation of the energy system has already begun, it is not progressing fast enough and there is a lack of public awareness of what this process involves. This programme of work aims to enhance a common understanding of the energy transition that considers the changes needed to eliminate fossil fuel use from Ireland and meet climate objectives, while at the same time increasing well-being and ensuring a just transition.

An ambitious programme of research was designed, which will focus mainly on the power and heat services of the energy system in Ireland:

• A systems analysis report addressing concerns we heard that very few actors have an understanding of what transition means across the energy sector. This presents challenges for coherent approaches and also for public confidence and acceptance;
• A households and energy communities report addressing concerns we heard that development of solutions has been focused on technologies and deployment, with insufficient attention paid to how the technological changes will impact on households, particularly vulnerable households;
• A report on the energy sector and Ireland’s economic resilience addressing concerns we heard that not enough is understood about the impacts that may arise out of the electricity system transition, and where attention should be directed to enhance economic resilience;
• An energy poverty report addressing concerns we heard about current rates of energy poverty and how this might change with the transition; and
• A trade report addressing concerns we heard regarding the need for a more strategic, evidence-based approach to energy related exports and trade balance.

Our aim is for all of the above to help inform a coherent strategy and narrative for the transformation of the whole energy system – to decarbonise while increasing well-being. The shared island will be a cross-cutting theme of the programme.

Work on this programme will be ongoing throughout the rest of 2024 and into 2025. We recently held our first event in relation to this project, a working meeting of national stakeholders on the future of Ireland’s energy system, which you can read up on by clicking here.

Our second Energy event, a systems analysis workshop, was subsequently held in November 2024 – find out more by clicking here.