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17 September 2026
Lower wind levels left Ireland more exposed to imported fossil fuels in August, pushing wholesale electricity prices to their highest level since December 2022, while prices were nearly €24 lower on the days with the most wind energy.
The average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland rose 9.6 per cent from July to €170.54 per megawatt-hour (MWh) in August. This was the second consecutive monthly increase and the highest average monthly price since December 2022.
This increase was drive by the ongoing conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and Middle East, which has seen ongoing volatility in international fossil fuel prices.
Prices were highest on the days with the least wind energy, at €171.99 per megawatt hour, but fell to €148.12 on the windiest days, a difference of €23.87 per megawatt-hour, showing the impact of wind energy on costs.
Wind farms generated 614 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity during August, supplying 18 per cent of Ireland’s electricity demand, the lowest monthly share so far this year but solar farms took advantage of the sunny weather and provided another 7 per cent of demand.
Overall, wind has provided 32 per cent of Ireland’s electricity during the first eight months of the year and remained the country’s number one source of renewable electricity in August.
While periods of lower wind are unavoidable, their impact can be reduced by building more diverse onshore and offshore wind farms, supported by a stronger grid and energy storage.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “August’s figures are a warning of what happens when Ireland must rely heavily on imported fossil fuels. Families and businesses are left exposed to international energy prices that we cannot control.
“We cannot control the weather or international gas markets, but we can control how quickly we build the infrastructure Ireland needs. Faster planning decisions, quicker grid connections and greater investment in wind energy and storage will help deliver cleaner, more secure and more affordable electricity.
“More wind farms, across a wider range of onshore and offshore locations, and solar farms will enable us to generate more clean electricity across different weather conditions. Increasing our storage capacity will further insulate consumers from the volatile fossil fuel market.
“Even with wind supplying its lowest monthly share of electricity so far this year, wholesale prices on the windiest days were nearly €24 lower than on the least windy days. This shows how wind energy continues to provide a valuable buffer for consumers.”
County-by-county generation
Kerry returned to the top of Ireland’s wind energy leaderboard in August, generating 61 GWh of electricity. It was followed by Offaly at 49 GWh, Mayo at 47.4 GWh, Cork at 47 GWh and Galway at 46 GWh.
Together, these five counties generated more than 250 GWh, accounting for over 40 per cent of all wind energy produced across the island during the month.
Noel Cunniffe concluded: “The county figures show the contribution communities across Ireland are making to our energy transition. From Kerry to Offaly, wind farms are helping to power homes and businesses with clean, home-grown electricity while supporting investment in rural communities.”
The results of this report are based on EirGrid’s SCADA data compiled by MullanGrid, market data provided by ElectroRoute and county-level wind generation data provided by Infranua, based on D+1 SEMO data.