European Union: Renewables

The Irish Government has secured approval for revisions to the Heat (Networks and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, legislation designed to accelerate district heating adoption across Ireland. Research indicates that waste heat from data centres and pharmaceutical plants could meet approximately 80% of Dublin's heat demand by 2050, potentially heating over 1 million homes through renewable and waste heat sources.

France's Multiannual Energy Program (PPE 3) establishes a framework for 2026-2035, prioritizing wind farm repowering to boost renewable energy capacity. However, structural challenges including grid connection delays, rising costs, local acceptance issues, and political uncertainty continue to impact investor confidence. Can the balance between repowering existing wind farms and developing new greenfield projects successfully drive France's energy sovereignty and electrification goals?

Ireland's RESS 6 renewable electricity support scheme introduces significant changes including NZIA compliance requirements, a new composite scoring methodology combining price, resilience and energy system integration factors, and technology-specific auction pots for wind and solar projects. The scheme will support successful projects until 2046, with stricter obligations around supply chain diversification, cybersecurity standards, and Public Service Obligation compliance compared to previous iterations.

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities has published a comprehensive policy framework for connecting biomethane producers to Ireland's gas network, introducing significant changes to economic testing periods, financial security...

Ireland's electricity demand is surging due to data centres and digital infrastructure, yet nuclear energy remains legally prohibited despite growing European support and technological advances.

Ireland's system operators have published a roadmap for implementing hybrid co-located renewable energy sites with shared maximum export capacity, following regulatory approval in April 2024.

As the Grids Package progresses through the legislative process, we consider the proposed legislation in our briefing: EU Grids Package: Legislative proposals before Council and Parliament.

April 2026 – We are excited to release the second edition of the Report | Energy and Natural Resources Trends in the CEE, SEE, Central and Southeast Asia for the year 2026.

Following the release of an initial unofficial draft version of the reform of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act 2027 (Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz, EEG) in February 2026...