Benefits
National and EU Targets
The Government’s Climate Action Plan requires 80% of the Ireland’s electricity to come from renewable technologies such as wind farms, by 2030, and Ireland to be a climate neutral economy by 2050.
This plan has set a target of up to 9GW of onshore wind to be supplied to the national grid by 2030. The proposed Carrow Wind Farm project is, in part, a response to the challenges of climate change and ensuring a secure supply of Ireland’s future energy needs. The production of renewable energy from the Carrow Wind Farm will assist in achieving the Government’s and EU’s stated goals.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Clean energy - Generate renewable, carbon-neutral electricity.
Reduce Ireland’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.
Reduce Energy Prices: In 2024 the average price of electricity on the wholesale market on the windiest days was over two thirds less than the price of electricity produced on the least windy days (€78.86 versus €294.37–Wind Energy Ireland). Wind drives down the price of power by pushing expensive fossil fuel generators off the system. Without it, we would have to depend more on costly gas imports which would increase electricity bills.
32% of Ireland’s electricity was generated from wind energy in 2024, the equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 3 million Irish families, and 41% in December 2024
Wind keeps money at home: In 2024, Ireland’s wind energy generation helped the country save over €1.2 billion on its natural gas import bill. This significant reduction in reliance on imported fossil fuels was achieved through wind power displacing the need for gas-fired electricity generation.
Displacement of carbon emissions: wind energy saved 5 million tonnes of CO2 in 2024, This saving is equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.8 million cars.
Job Creation - Research from KPMG has confirmed more than 5,000 people are working in the Irish onshore wind energy industry and this number is expected to rise to more than 7,000 by the end of the decade. Thousands more jobs will be created this decade as we build our first new offshore wind farms.