The Government must act urgently to stop renewable energy being wasted and instead use it to reduce household energy bills, according to Social Democrats energy spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore, who will introduce new legislation to address the issue.
Deputy Whitmore said:
“I will be introducing a Bill at the nearest opportunity to put in place a clear legal requirement to use renewable electricity that is currently being wasted, ensuring that surplus energy is redirected to lower costs for households and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
“Right now, wind and solar farms are often told to switch off or turn down even when they could generate cheap, clean electricity, simply because the system cannot take it. That means usable energy is being thrown away. My Bill is about stopping that waste and making it work for households.
“The Climate Change Advisory Council has highlighted that more than €520 million worth of renewable energy was wasted last year alone, while at the same time over 319,000 households fell into arrears on their energy bills.
“This wastage is costing Irish families, whose skyrocketing gas and electricity bills could be reduced by utilising surplus wind energy. It’s a no-brainer that excess resources should be used to bring costs down
“10% of Ireland’s wind energy is still being wasted due to grid constraints. Wind Energy Ireland has also pointed to the lack of new wind farm approvals, underlining the Government’s failure to build a system that both generates and uses renewable energy effectively.
“Tackling wasted renewable energy must be part of how we address energy poverty. Initiatives like EnergyCloud show how this can be done, redirecting surplus energy to provide free hot water and reduce bills for households in need, but this needs to be scaled up and backed by legislation. The Programme for Government itself commits to exploring how surplus renewable energy can be used to reduce energy poverty. My Bill is about turning that commitment into action.
“Other countries are moving ahead with practical solutions to use surplus renewable energy, including in the UK and Germany. The Irish Government cannot keep lagging behind on something that is so obviously a good idea.
“In the meantime, the Government must consider the Social Democrats’ Solar for All proposal, a five-point plan that would expand and improve access to solar nationwide. It includes doubling the existing solar grant, reinstates the grant for battery storage, provides free solar panels as part of the warmer homes scheme and increases grants for businesses to install solar.
“Crucially, our plan also addresses the need to roll out new technology, like plug-in solar. These are practical proposals that would cut bills, reduce emissions and insulate households from future shocks. This do-nothing Government cannot continue to sit on its hands while families choose between heating and eating.”
May 13th, 2026