Wind Energy Ireland Blog

Our message on curtailment is breaking through

Written by Admin | Jul 29, 2026, 1:10:54 PM

This week our analysisshowing that significant volumes of renewable electricity generated by Irish wind farms could not be used because the electricity grid was not strong enough to carry it — was picked up across national radio, TV and numerous print/digital publications. 

Every time this argument lands on the national news agenda, it becomes a little harder for policymakers to treat building a stronger electricity grid as a back-burner issue. So the next time you're talking to your local councilor or a community group about why grid capacity matters, we hope these clips will help make the point.

What we said

Our release, based on EirGrid figures, showed that across the island of Ireland enough wind energy to power 667,000 homes — roughly every household in Dublin, Westmeath and Wicklow combined — was lost in the first half of 2026 because the grid isn't yet strong enough to carry all the renewable electricity being generated.

Considering the amount of wind energy generated is up, the amount of wasted wind energy highlights a growing gap between the growth of renewables and the infrastructure needed to move, store and use that power,

Irish wind farms set a new generation record in June, up nearly 5% on the previous record, which helped reverse three months of rising wholesale electricity prices — dropping the average price by 6% to €135.52/MWh. On the windiest days, prices fell as low as €111.20/MWh, 37% lower than on days when Ireland leaned more heavily on imported fossil fuels.

So our message was simple: wind is already saving consumers money, Investing in the grid and supporting new overhead lines, substations and cables are the biggest levers needed to unlock more of that value.

Where it landed

TV

RTÉ - 9 o'clock News

Virgin Media One - Ireland AM 

 

Radio

Newstalk - Newstalk Breakfast

RTÉ - Radio One News at One

Today FM - The Last Word

Galway Bay FM - Galway Talks

Midwest Radio - News Bulletin

 

Print & digital

RTÉ - Wind energy to power 660,000 homes lost in six months

Business Plus - Electricity grid not strong enough to carry wind energy

Extra.ie - Over 660,000 Irish homes could be powered by wind energy that’s going to waste

Irish Daily Mail - Wind Energy 'Gridlocked'

Irish Daily Mail - Dreams of a modern, energised New Ireland are gone with the wind