Ireland's power mix reached a notable milestone in July, with solar delivering its strongest monthly showing yet, helping renewable sources supply more than 30% of the country's electricity. This also signals a broader shift toward cleaner power that could reduce reliance on fossil fuels tied to price swings and pollution.
Here's what to know
After rising from 7.8% in May to 8.2% in June, solar's share of Ireland's electricity mix climbed to nearly 10% in July, its strongest monthly performance on record, according to the Irish Examiner.
Electricity demand totaled 2,744 GWh in July, which was 68 GWh higher than in June. Wind supplied 22% of that power, equal to 614 gigawatt-hours. Meanwhile, gas remained the largest single source of power at 43%, while imports through interconnectors (via undersea cables connected to the U.K.) accounted for 24%.
More background
EirGrid director of system operation Diarmaid Gillespie said the July result was part of a broader stretch of strong renewable performance.
"This follows a significant first half of the year for renewable energy, with a number of other notable milestones including a new record for wind generation in February and grid-scale solar power reaching a peak of more than 1GW of electricity for the first time in April," Gillespie said.
What's being done?
As renewable output grows, EirGrid said it's upgrading the electricity system to handle higher levels of clean power while maintaining safe operation. The grid operator reports that it's now able to safely handle up to 75% of electricity coming from variable renewable sources (like wind and solar) at a time. And the organization is aiming to increase this percentage to 95%.
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The Irish Examiner reported that five new wind energy projects won approval in the second quarter of 2026, the highest total since the first quarter of 2025, and only one project was denied planning permission.
According to Wind Energy Ireland, the approved projects will add a "combined generation capacity of 311MW, enough to power just over 180,000 homes each year." The group also noted that "concerns are growing about the large backlog of wind farm planning decisions."
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