Over the past five years or so, Ireland has made significant progress in accelerating action towards reaching our national 2050 climate goals. The Climate Change Advisory Committee recently reported that emissions from the Irish electricity sector fell a further 7% in 2024, reaching the lowest levels since reporting began.
Launched in early 2022, ESB’s strategy ‘Driven to Make a Difference: Net Zero 2040’ set out our ambition to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040. Delivering a net-zero electricity system is an essential stepping stone to decarbonising Ireland’s broader economy and society. Here are some of the ways we are working to make this reality.
Decarbonising electricity generation
Year-on-year, there has been a fall in the carbon intensity of electricity produced by ESB – a measure of the amount of CO2 emitted for every kilowatt hour of energy we generate. The total carbon dioxide output from our generation is down by 65% since 2005. And we are steadily reducing the use of fossil fuels in our generation mix. In June 2025 we phased out the use of coal in our generation: our Moneypoint station has switched from running on coal to less carbon-intensive heavy fuel oil, and between now and 2029 it will only be required to operate when the electricity system is short of generating capacity.
In parallel, we are continuing to grow our renewable generation and storage portfolio. Today, it stands at more than 1.8 GW, and we are developing many multiples of this in renewable projects at design stage. In addition to over 1 GW of onshore wind, our first wholly owned solar farm is now energised at Bullstown Co. Meath – and we have another 8 grid-scale solar projects in delivery or construction.
Enabling home-grown renewable energy
Beyond the renewable energy produced by ESB’s Generation business, ESB Networks is connecting an ever-greater volume of home-grown wind and solar power to Ireland’s electricity grid. This has jumped from 4.5 GW in 2021 to over 6.3 GW today, helping to meet the needs of a growing population and economy. This includes over 135,00 microgeneration connections, like rooftop solar – transforming our electricity system and helping homes, farms and businesses across the country return excess electricity back to the network.
Investing in a clean, secure energy future
Including joint ventures, ESB invested over €2.2 billion in critical energy infrastructure in 2024 alone. Over €1.4 billion of that went towards enhancing and future-proofing the electricity networks in Ireland and Northern Ireland. This is set to deliver benefits on multiple fronts: strengthening resilience to extreme weather like storms, growing the grid’s capacity in step with population and economic growth, and enabling integration of greater volumes of renewables. ESB’s investment is set to continue growing, with up to €13 billion forecast capital spend over the next five years, supporting the National Development and Climate Action Plans.
Empowering customers and communities
By improving energy efficiency and electrifying heat and transport, a net-zero electricity system can enable broader decarbonisation of our economy and society. ESB is committed to empowering customers and communities across Ireland on this journey. Our ecars network now has over 1,600 EV charging points across the island of Ireland, making electric mobility an easier choice for ever more drivers. The retrofits offered by our Electric Ireland Superhomes joint venture continue to make homes more comfortable and energy efficient. And with over 1.9 million smart meters now installed throughout the country, more and more people can take control of their electricity usage and benefit from smart tariffs.
By working to decarbonise our electricity system by 2040, ESB is delivering a solid foundation for Ireland to reach our national 2050 climate targets. At the same time, our investment in this area is enabling a more secure energy future, powered by home-grown renewable electricity and capable of meeting the demands of a growing population and economy.
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