Ireland's Transition to a Low Carbon Energy Future 2015-2030

This White Paper is a complete energy policy update, which sets out a framework to guide policy between now and 2030. Its objective is to guide a transition to a low carbon energy system, which provides secure supplies of competitive and affordable energy to our citizens and businesses. Ireland's energy policy addresses three core objectives: sustainability, security of supply, and competitiveness. It also addresses the need for affordable energy for domestic and business consumers.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the energy sector will be reduced by between 80% and 95%, compared to 1990 levels, by 2050, and will fall to zero or below by 2100.
Ireland's 2020 renewable energy target is to increase the share of national energy consumption made up of renewable energy sources (RES) to 16%. This target is broken into three key sectors with individual targets for each sector: 40% of electricity supply (RES-E), 12% of heating (RES-H), and 10% of transport (RES-T). Ireland also has a target of a 20% improvement in energy efficiency by 2020.
Renewable energy and improved energy efficiency will play vital roles in reducing emissions. Decisions about the development and deployment of new technologies will inform the renewable energy mix and impact on the role of citizens as energy consumers.

By 2030, the Better Energy Programme will deliver enough deep energy efficiency upgrades to put the residential sector on a realistic trajectory to a low carbon energy future.
Consumers will drive the transition by, for example, choosing to use less energy, adopting lower carbon options for transport and heating shifting energy use to o -peak times or investing in smart home technologies.Stable, transparent, evidence-based, and independent regulation is essential to facilitate competition, to support investment, and to ensure that the cost of capital and network costs are minimised.
The SEM is in the process of being reformed and regulators are working to implement the new I-SEM market by 2017. Integration between the SEM and its neighbouring electricity markets will gradually deepen.