Northern Ireland sourced 48 per cent of its electricity from renewable generators during the year ending March 2026, marking an improvement on the previous 12 months but leaving a substantial gap to close before the statutory 2030 deadline. The Department for the Economy published the latest quarterly statistics today, revealing that 4,264 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of the 8,818 GWh consumed came from wind, solar, bioenergy and other clean sources.
These figures represent the second quarterly release using a new “Gross Final Electricity Consumption” methodology, which fundamentally changes how progress is measured against the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 target to “ensure that at least 80 per cent of electricity consumption is from renewable sources by 2030.” While the 48 per cent figure exceeds the 44 per cent recorded in the year to March 2025, officials caution that direct comparisons with data published before March 2026 are not possible due to the measurement changes.
Wind Dominates, but Imports Surge
Wind power remains the backbone of Northern Ireland’s renewable sector, contributing 73 per cent of all clean electricity generated. Bioenergy accounted for 19 per cent, solar photovoltaic (PV) for 6 per cent, while landfill gas and hydro or tidal generation comprised the remaining 2 per cent.
However, the statistics reveal growing reliance on imported power. Northern Ireland imported a net 616 GWh of electricity in the year to March 2026—a six-fold increase from the 90 GWh imported during the previous 12-month period. Total gross final electricity consumption has fallen steadily from 9,569 GWh in December 2018 to 8,818 GWh in March 2026, suggesting improved efficiency or reduced demand. Yet the sharp rise in imports raises questions about local generation capacity.
- 48% of electricity from renewable sources (up from 44% in previous period)
- Wind provides 73% of renewable generation
- Net imports jumped from 90 GWh to 616 GWh year-on-year
- Total electricity demand down 8% since 2018
- 52% of locally generated power came from renewables (4,264 GWh renewable vs 3,938 GWh non-renewable)
A New Yardstick for Success
The Department has fundamentally altered how it calculates renewable progress. The new Gross Final Electricity Consumption approach includes “own use” generation—power consumed on-site by generators rather than exported to the grid—and properly accounts for electricity imports, exports and transmission losses.
This methodological shift provides a more accurate picture of the energy mix but disrupts historical trend analysis. As the Department notes: “Given the development work undertaken and the improvement in coverage, no direct comparisons can be made of these figures with those published prior to March 2026.”
The change particularly affects how solar, bioenergy and hydro are counted. These technologies often use more than half their generation on-site, whereas wind farms typically use only around 5 per cent for their own operations. Consequently, the new measure reveals a more diverse renewable mix than previously reported, though wind still dominates.
Policy Delays and Delivery Challenges
Despite the improved headline figure, the statistics arrive against a backdrop of industry concern about policy delays. The 48 per cent achievement leaves Northern Ireland 32 percentage points short of its 2030 target with only four years remaining. Industry body RenewableNI has previously warned that without market support mechanisms, “very few new projects are progressing and generation is sliding backwards.”
The Renewable Electricity Price Guarantee (REPG) scheme—intended to provide the investment certainty needed to build new capacity—has faced repeated delays. While the final scheme design was published in September 2025, the terms and conditions have yet to be laid before the Assembly, and the first auction is not expected until early 2027. This leaves a narrow window to deliver the infrastructure required to close the gap to 80 per cent.
Grid constraints remain another barrier. Research indicates that wind “dispatch down” rates—where turbines are switched off due to transmission limitations—run at 21.7 per cent in Northern Ireland, with 18.5 per cent caused by network constraints rather than market conditions. Meanwhile, community energy advocates note that despite high-level commitments in the Energy Strategy’s Mid-Term Review, “communities still lack the structural support and enabling frameworks necessary to meaningfully own and operate local energy assets.”
Critical Questions for Policymakers
- With only four years until 2030, how will the delayed REPG scheme accelerate deployment rapidly enough to close the 32-percentage-point gap?
- What is driving the sharp increase in net electricity imports, and does this expose consumers to greater price volatility if international markets tighten?
- How will the new Gross Final Electricity Consumption methodology affect public understanding of progress, given that historic comparisons are now invalid?
- What specific infrastructure investments are planned to reduce the 18.5 per cent of wind generation currently lost to grid constraints?
- Beyond the exploratory “community energy pathfinder” project, what concrete funding and regulatory mechanisms will enable local ownership of renewable assets?
The next quarterly statistics are due for release on 4 September 2026, providing the first year-on-year comparison using the new methodology. With the Assembly’s current mandate due to end in 2027, the coming months will prove critical in determining whether Northern Ireland can accelerate deployment sufficiently to meet its legally binding climate obligations—or whether the 80 per cent target will require fundamental revision.