Recent commentary on Ireland’s energy system is a reminder that not everyone is comfortable with change.
For people unconvinced by the potential of renewable energy to provide all our energy needs, the focus of energy policy should still be on large-scale sources of generation, as it was in the glory days of the ESB when it ran everything (and it took up to 18 months to get a grid connection).
Amid nostalgia for a simpler past, there are still voices making the case that fossil fuels and nuclear energy should form the backbone of the grid. This case is made on the basis that renewables can only match demand up to a certain point due to their intermittency, low energy densities and the challenges of integrating them into the grid.
And it is always hard to make the case for energy efficiency and demand management when fossil fuels, on paper at least, are plentiful, and there is no sign yet of the big energy producers slowing down extraction or divesting from fossil energy.
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Scepticism comes in many forms and can be accompanied by impressive engineering credentials and decades of expertise. Sceptics, unlike outright deniers, don’t directly disavow the science, or carbon budgets (the total greenhouse gas emissions that Ireland may emit in set period), but they cast doubt on the realism behind current energy and climate targets.
Even some members of the Oireachtas, notably some Rural Independent TDs, some of whom are supporting the current Government, do not agree that Ireland should be bound by Paris Agreement-aligned carbon budgets or that human decisions can even influence the weather.
As the carbon budgets start to really bite, and recent flooding reminds us of how vulnerable we are to climate change impacts in Ireland, the role of nuclear energy regularly resurfaces.
What are we to make of all these different viewpoints? Should we pin our hopes on a shiny new techno-fix or stick with the plan and accelerate renewables roll-out? Have we left it too late to consider new technologies as we approach the hard climate and energy deadlines of 2030 and 2040? And what difference could such technologies realistically make at this point along the pathway to attaining a net-zero energy system well before 2050, as our climate law requires?
With regard to nuclear energy, there is a lot of interest in small modular reactors (SMRs), which, at approximately 400MW generating capacity, would be much more appropriate in scale for Irish electricity needs. The problem with nuclear energy is that traditional power plants, at about 1.3GW, are too individually large for Ireland, not to mention the likelihood of a nuclear plant taking decades to secure the required approvals and get built.
The ESB in its 2025 Emerging Technology Insights report notes that SMRs remain unproven due to a lack of demonstration projects. None of the SMR projects to date will have a demonstration plant completed before 2030.
Given that we are just four years away from key climate deadlines, nuclear power is so unrealistic in the context of what we need to do right now that it might as well be irrelevant.
The SEAI Energy in Ireland 2025 report highlights that Ireland needs proven, immediate solutions to avoid missing its second carbon budget (2026–2030). Luckily for Ireland, we have abundant renewable resources, which have never been so cheap to develop.
Renewable energy costs have come down so fast and by so much that even when you factor in the grid upgrades required, in 90 per cent of the world they outcompete new fossil fuel infrastructure easily, including the US. This is because wind and solar technologies are proven, scalable and cost-competitive over the long run, making them more attractive to investors.
The real challenges facing Irish energy policy are managing rising demand, delivering the promised renewables and the retail cost of energy. Ireland boasts some of the highest electricity prices in Europe, which drives up the cost of almost everything else, as well as the cost of living. However, imported fossil gas and the cost of grid upgrades is the reason, not wind and solar. Limiting the impact of data centres on gas demand is necessary since this sector is responsible for driving up electricity demand faster than renewables can keep up.
The energy system is much more than electricity. But there is no magic bullet or technology that will do a better decarbonisation job than the mix of measures we’ve already committed to including heat pumps, district heating, electric vehicles, reliable public transport and safe cycling infrastructure. In other words, we have all the technologies we need to meet current targets.
This is not my opinion: this is the view of the International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the SEAI.
That said, we should keep an open mind about emerging technologies and their potential in Ireland, especially those that support smart grids and energy storage. And if SMRs are safe, viable and affordable, they too can help us meet our climate goals without adding to pollution.
Sadhbh O’Neill is a climate and environmental researcher
