Sarah Carey: "playing with fire" on energy security — and the counter-argument arrived within 24 hours

Sarah Carey's column placed two LNG options head to head: New Fortress Energy's Ballylongford proposal (NFE has commissioned four LNG terminals in 36 months) against the state-led Cahiracon option, which has no commissioning timeline (estimated 2031). Her frame — Ireland has effectively zero days of strategic gas storage against Denmark's 181 and Greece's 37. Dan O'Brien's LinkedIn piece — argued the exposure on gas security is unforgivable.

In practice: the security-of-energy-supply is critical, and time is of the essence.

Ireland's electricity is Europe's most expensive — and the bill breakdown is now public

Eurostat confirmed Ireland H2 2025 at 40.42 c/kWh, ~40% above the EU average of 28.96 c/kWh — roughly €480/yr above the median European customer. The CSO's domestic energy index rose 42% YoY (+32.6% in April alone, fuel oil and gas oil leading). UCC's Paul Deane gave RTÉ the cleanest decomposition: roughly one-third generation, one-fifth network, one-quarter balancing and capacity, 10% taxes and renewable schemes, 10% supplier. CRU's interim review found no evidence of excessive supplier profits; the government has ruled out a windfall tax.

In practice: there is no demand-side lever in the system that answers a 40.42 c/kWh number. The only material moves are supply-side: more grid, more wind on the system, more interconnection, more storage. Which leads to the next two items.

The 2026 Climate Action Plan is five months late — and the underspend is the story

The Public Accounts Committee on 21 May is where the CAP delay stopped being a scheduling issue and became a delivery one. DECC Secretary General Oonagh Buckley told the committee CAP26 will arrive "in the coming weeks." Committee member Grace Boland (FG) called the slippage "intolerable." Of the €523.8m Climate Action Fund, €261m sits unspent. The €190m windfall levy revenue is mostly unspent. The EPA is projecting Ireland will hit a 23% emissions reduction by 2030 — against a binding 51% legal target.

In practice: the gap between binding target and projected delivery is now 28 percentage points. EPA updated projections are due within the next fortnight.

Wind hit 38% in April, but Q1 planning approvals were zero

EirGrid's April figures: wind 38% of generation, solar 6%, all-renewable 48%, first 1 GW solar peak recorded. System non-synchronous penetration ran near the 75% operating limit. Against that, Wind Energy Ireland's Q1 audit found zero onshore wind farms received planning permission, with 15 projects waiting over a year and six over two. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy concluded on 20 May that the 5 GW offshore by 2030 target is "extremely unlikely" to be met. RWE's newly-proposed 13-turbine Mayo project — taller than the Dublin Spire, 110kV connection — joins the same queue.

In practice: with zero of the Phase 1 ORESS projects through planning, it is more than 'extremely unlikely' that the offshore target will be met at this stage.

SEAI signals fossil-heating phase-out — 2030 for industry, 2035 for homes

SEAI's Comprehensive Heating report, reinforced by CEO William Walsh's Journal interview, sets two markers: phase out fossil fuels from industrial heat by 2030 and from domestic heating by 2035. Walsh was careful to distinguish "phase-out" from "ban." Tallaght remains Ireland's only operating district heating scheme.

In practice: the heating phase-out cannot land on current policy. A 2035 domestic deadline implies an electrification or biomethane pull-through the present scheme stack doesn't deliver.

EirGrid: data centres must show 80% renewables matching — and AIRAA closes Wednesday

The CRU and EirGrid data centre connection process (CER/2025/236) requires new connections to demonstrate at least 80% renewable energy matching, with autoproducer status required for Tier A applicants. Fossil-islanded data centres are now "not in line" with policy. Data centre demand is projected at 9.4 → 14.6 TWh from 2025–2034 — share of national electricity demand rising from 22% to 31%. Separately, EirGrid's Adequacy in Ireland Reserve Adequacy Assessment (AIRAA) for 2027–2036 — methodology consultation — closes 16:00 on Wednesday 27 May at consult.eirgrid.ie.

In practice: the 80% renewables matching rule is the binding constraint on hyperscaler expansion. If they can't procure compliant PPAs at scale, future demand growth flattens and moves abroad.

Stream BioEnergy: €80m Cork plant plans to connects to GNI grid — Ireland's largest biomethane

Stream BioEnergy's Little Island, Cork facility signed contracts last week to connect to the Gas Networks Ireland grid. 80 GWh/yr from 2027 onwards, capital cost €80m, anaerobic digestion technology, enough biomethane to heat roughly 6,000 homes. Bia Energy's Dublin plant separately took "best biomethane development" at the All-Island Bioeconomy Summit.

In practice: more of these scale of plants are required to get as close as possible to the 5.7 TWh target. GNI confirmed only 11% of the target is contracted for grid connection.

Perigus Energy plans €600m Irish renewables build-out over 18 months

Perigus Energy — Cork-headquartered post the CIP €1.44bn Ørsted Ireland acquisition — confirmed a €600m investment programme over the next 18 months. Operational base today is 373 MW (wind), with 178 MW under construction. Two solar farms in execution: 55 MW at Ballinrea, Cork (planning secured for co-located BESS) and a second site in Carlow. CEO Kieran White's framing is to build Cork as the European platform.

IEA Global EV Outlook 2026: 30% global share, Europe +30% YoY in Q1

IEA's Global EV Outlook 2026 this week: 30% of global new car sales projected electric in 2026, Europe Q1 +30% YoY. The headline data point — roughly 70% of China-manufactured BEVs were already cheaper than equivalent ICE vehicles before incentives in 2025. Forty countries now have BEV market shares above 10%.

In practice: the cost-parity argument has crossed the line in the world's largest auto market.