Ireland to introduce new policy for company-owned transmission infrastructure

Ireland is set to introduce new policies that would allow private companies including data center operators to build their own energy transmission infrastructure as the government has approved two memos – one on private wires and another on energy storage.

"It is clear from both the engagement on the Electricity Storage Policy and the large number of responses to the Private Wires consultation that they are areas that are of interest to many. They offer the potential to deploy more renewables within the energy system and to assist with our decarbonization goals,” said Eamon Ryan,  Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. "Getting more renewables onto the system is key if we are to meet our climate goals. Delivering an electricity storage policy framework and a Private Wires framework is essential to unlock private sector resources to build new electricity infrastructure."

“The addition of these electricity storage systems will not only increase the amounts of greener renewable electricity onto the grid, which will ultimately provide cheaper, green electricity to the consumer, it will ensure that Ireland’s grid can exploit the opportunities provided by the fast pace of our renewable generation program and facilitating the growth of Irelands industrial sectors,” the memo said.