Ireland: Energy Law

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.

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.

European energy regulators and agencies have released new guidance and reports covering customer switching procedures, grid connection requirements, gas market decarbonisation strategies, and emissions trading system reforms. Key developments include amendments to security of supply regulations, tripartite agreements for energy storage capacity, and updated reporting requirements under the Governance Regulation for member states' national energy and climate plans.

The Irish Government has published the Critical Infrastructure Bill, a legislative initiative designed to tackle persistent delays in infrastructure approval processes. This development promises to streamline licensing, consenting, and planning procedures for critical infrastructure projects across Ireland.

Ireland's Draft Renewable Heat Obligation Bill 2025 introduces a new framework requiring fossil fuel suppliers to ensure a prescribed percentage of heating energy comes from renewable sources, mirroring...

The Private Wires Bill 2025 - only the General Scheme of the Bill has been published to date. This was submitted to the Joint Committee for review.

The European Commission's package on energy independence and affordability is relevant to stakeholders across the sector including those in generation, supply...

The European Commission is calling for evidence until 20 April 2026 in the context of its review of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (EU) 2023/1804.

The High Court in Ireland dismissed a challenge to a decision by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, following a competitive dialogue procedure, to award a contract for certain services.