Ireland's energy mix remains 80% fossil-fuel dependent as demand climbs
Data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland show that almost four-fifths of the country's energy still comes from oil, gas or solid fuels, with overall demand projected to rise 10% by 2030.
According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, fossil fuels still provide nearly 80% of the nation’s energy needs, despite a modest decline from the previous year. The agency warns that total energy consumption is expected to grow by 10% by 2030, fueled by higher road traffic, rising air travel and a rapid expansion of data-centre power use, which alone drove 78% of the electricity demand increase between 2015 and 2025.
Renewable electricity generation is expanding, but slowly, with wind delivering about 32% of power while gas accounts for 40%. The transport sector remains heavily reliant on petrol and diesel, covering 92% of travel fuel, and aviation fuel use rose almost 11% in the first half of the year. Emissions fell 3.6% last year, partly due to increased electricity imports from Britain, which are not counted in Ireland’s domestic emissions tally. SEAI chief executive William Walsh says policy choices on the location and scale of large energy users, such as new data centres, are essential to improve energy security, affordability and climate outcomes.
Why it matters
Ireland’s continued reliance on imported fossil fuels raises energy costs and hampers climate targets, affecting households and the economy.
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