Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2023
169. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to indicate highest demand for electricity recorded in the past five years; the extent to which this demand is likely to fluctuate in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29040/23]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that peak system demand for electricity over the past five years was recorded by EirGrid on 14 December 2022 with 7,031 MW of system demand.
It is expected that electricity demand will increase over the coming decade with the continued electrification of heat and transport. This additional electrification of energy demand provides opportunities to decarbonise demand sectors that may be difficult or more expensive to otherwise decarbonise.
In addition, the new (Recast) Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) increases energy saving requirements on all Member States. For the saving target for Ireland to be met Ireland will need to reduce national final energy consumption (from all sources combined) by approximately 20% compared to Ireland’s energy use in 2019.
This will require additional energy saving policies and measures applicable to all sectors to be identified and developed.
Looking forward, my Department is working on an Energy Security Package which seeks to address the energy security challenges facing Ireland with a range of new and existing actions. This Package is informed by a broad range of analysis including the review of the security of energy supply of Ireland’s electricity and gas systems and extensive public consultation, the McCarthy Report (an independent review of the security of electricity supply), the National Energy Security Framework, and the Climate Action Plan.
EirGrid, through its Generation Capacity Statement (GCS), regularly reviews and publishes estimated demand projections to inform system planning for the electricity sector. Forecasting for the gas sector are carried out by Gas Networks Ireland.
