House of the Rising Sun… solar’s time to shine?

The eagerly awaited results of the first Enduring Connection Policy (ECP-1) batch application process have finally been released. This is a new system for granting connection offers for storage capacity and new generation that succeeds the previous non-Group Processing Approach (non-GPA) and “Gate” systems. The grid application process has been massively oversubscribed with 35.1GW in the queue. The 2018 batch of projects to be processed under ECP-1 are likely to commence the Irish Government’s stated policy under the Renewable Energy Support Scheme (RESS) of diversifying the sources of renewable electricity, given the preponderance of solar.

In this week’s blog, we consider what this outcome entails for the Irish energy market and generation mix.

Related thinking

Low carbon generation

Q4 2023 All-Island Power Market Outlook to 2030 overview

This report provides an annual overview of trends for the All-Ireland Power Market out to 2030 using outputs from Cornwall Insight’s latest forward curve for the All-Island (AI) Single Electricity Market (SEM) covering Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This publication is based on comprehensive market and asset-level power...

Announcement

What are Australia’s emissions reduction targets?

From Cornwall Insight Australia's Energy Market Alerts service Energy laws have now been amended to incorporate an emissions reduction objective alongside the other objectives. The list of targets that the market bodies will need to consider is listed in a separately published Targets Statement. The targets currently listed cover both...

Announcement

Energy prices tumble in October

From Cornwall Insight Australia’s NEM Market Analysis report With over 700 GWh of rooftop PV added to the NEM since October last year, records were again set in NEM minimum demands along with a high instantaneous renewable penetration within the grid of 71.4%. Once again, the month’s main story was...

Low carbon generation

Understanding the evolution of the Irish electricity markets

The Irish electricity sector has undergone significant change in recent years. The Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) arrangements introduced in 2018 fundamentally transformed the market framework to maximise competition, facilitate electricity wholesale trading, and incentivise the development of low-carbon generation sources. In parallel the physical system continues to evolve rapidly....

Low carbon generation

Government publishes Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2023

This article is an extract from our Energy Spectrum Ireland service, which is a monthly publication and weekly news bulletin covering key developments in the Irish and Northern Irish energy sectors. If you are interested, we are currently offering a free trial which you can sign up to by filling...

Commercial and market outlook

Delays to onshore wind investment increase long-term power prices in Ireland

Note: Cornwall Insight Ireland release the 'All-Island Power Market Outlook 2023' on a quarterly basis. The increase in long-term power prices refers to the comparison with our Q3 Power Market Outlook released in October 2022. Data from our fourth - ‘All-Island Power Market Outlook to 2030’ – has forecast that...

Low carbon generation

Head to Head: CfD vs RESS

2022 has been busy for renewable developers in Great Britain and Ireland, with both the fourth allocation round of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme and the second round of the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) concluding this summer. We compared the latest results of the CfD and RESS schemes...

Low carbon generation

PSO Levy 2022/23: RESS to the Rescue

This week we look at how renewable generation is putting money back in consumers’ pockets - a trend which, based on the power price forecast from our All-Island Forward Curve report, is expected to continue until 2027. Last week the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published their final decision...