All policies / Electricity / IRL_P0026
Renewable electricity deployment and support (REFIT/RESS portfolio)
Instrument affecting the Electricity sector, using a deployment support mechanism; in force since 2005.
About this policy
The Irish government has set a renewable energy target for electricity generation, aiming to significantly increase the share of renewable sources in the country's energy mix. The target, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan 2021, aims for 70% of Ireland's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030. It involves the development of renewable energy projects such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, as well as encouraging investment in clean energy technologies and infrastructure. Emission reductions for this PaM are underpinned by energy projections for electricity under the With Existing Measures scenario. Under the With existing measures scenario, 6.5 GW of onshore wind, 0.03 GW of offshore wind and 6.3 GW of Solar PV by 2030 is assumed. Note that estimated emissions reductions for this PaM include the effects of electricity generation from biomethane.
Key milestones
- 2006REFIT feed-in tariff introduced for renewable electricity.
- 2020First auction under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS 1).
- 2023Renewables supply 41.0% of electricity generated (EPA).
Contextual milestones compiled from official sources. They are not used in the index.
About this type of instrument: deployment support for renewable energy
Early deployment lowers future costs through learning-by-doing, a benefit that investors cannot fully capture. Long-term revenue certainty also lowers the cost of capital for projects with high upfront costs.
- Rapid scale-up of clean supply
- Lower financing costs through revenue certainty
- Auctions reveal costs and drive prices down
- Costs recovered from consumers through levies
- Poorly designed tariffs can over-compensate
- Grid and planning constraints limit delivery
Measurement in this dataset. The renewable-electricity portfolio uses the average of the OECD feed-in-tariff and auction scores as context. The two programmes can coexist, so neither is assumed to replace the other. Renewable heat has no OECD indicator and uses assumed timing. Bindingness is scored 0.5 (financial incentive).
Year by year
Filled markers use a matched OECD score; hollow markers use assumed timing. Shaded bands show the policy's status. Select a year on the chart or the slider to see how its intensity is built up.
Source records in the EEA registry
All EEA records linked to this policy. Records under the "with additional measures" scenario describe planned extensions; they are retained for traceability but are not treated as historical policy.
| PaM | Name as reported | Status | Scenario | Period | Ex-post kt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Deployment of renewables in electricity generation (With Existing Measures) | Implemented | With existing measures | 2005 | 5,671 |
| 29 | Deployment of renewables in electricity generation (Not included in Projection Scenario) | Planned | Not included in a projections scenario | 2025 | – |
Data-quality notes
Methodological notes recorded for this series, grouped by theme.
OECD match quality
- The matched OECD indicator describes the broader category, not this specific programme.
- The OECD score is zero in some years in which the policy is recorded as active.
- The implementation source switches between assumed and OECD-derived; this is not a policy change.
Timing assumptions
- Implementation in some years follows an assumed ramp-up because no matching OECD score is available.
- The policy has no reported end date; its status after the reporting date is reconstructed as continuing.
Scoring conventions
- The unweighted equal-weight index remains positive before the policy starts; use the gated version for timing analysis.
- Bindingness is a normative score from the study rubric, not a measure of observed compliance.
- Coverage is an ordinal scope score, not a measured share of activity or emissions.
Aggregation warnings
- The row represents a portfolio of support schemes rather than a single legal instrument.
Selection context
- Policies were selected using recent (2024–2030) assessments, which can introduce retrospective selection bias.
Sources
- European Environment Agency. Reporting on national policies and measures, Ireland (report 1849), PaM 26. https://pam.apps.eea.europa.eu/
- OECD. Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF) database, Ireland, 1990–2023. https://data-explorer.oecd.org/vis?df[ag]=OECD.ENV.EPI&df[id]=DSD_CAPMF@DF_CAPMF (accessed 25 September 2026)
- Government of Ireland. Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFIT) Scheme. https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff-refit-scheme/ (accessed 25 September 2026)
- Government of Ireland. Renewable Electricity Support Scheme 1 (RESS 1). https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-climate-energy-and-the-environment/publications/renewable-electricity-support-scheme-ress-1/ (accessed 25 September 2026)