The spell of good weather in the second half of last month resulted in a drop in the electricity generated by Irish wind farms compared to May 2022, according to a new report.
The data published today (Wednesday, June 7) by Wind Energy Ireland shows that wind farms produced 21% of the country’s electricity last month.
The report also outlined that wind farms have provided over a third of Ireland’s power requirements between January and May.
Commenting on the report, Noel Cunniffe, chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “While there has been a drop in electricity generation from wind in May compared to last year’s figure, wind farms have performed well over the first five months of 2023 by providing 35% of our electricity.
“On May 10, Irish wind farms met over half of Ireland’s electricity demand for that day.
“We are expecting to see significant progress in the second half of this year with new wind farms connecting to the grid, solar projects coming on stream and the first offshore wind projects applying for planning permission,” he added.
Wind Energy Ireland said that wholesale electricity prices fell for the fifth consecutive month this year in May.
The average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland per megawatt-hour (MWh) during May 2023 was €105.19, down 16% from €125.57 in April 2023.
Although the prices are moving in the right direction, the report notes that the average prices before the fossil fuel energy crisis were between €50-70/(MWh)
Wind Energy Ireland also warned that there is some concern that recent gas price falls may reverse later in the year.
“The continued fall in wholesale electricity prices is welcome news. Consumers and businesses are struggling every day with high energy bills. Affordability is really important as well as reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
“We know from the recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on Ireland’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that we need to act fast to reduce our carbon emissions and prioritise responding to the climate emergency.
“Wind energy projects are moving at pace, and the quicker we have wind farms up and running, the sooner we can rely on more Irish renewable energy to provide our electricity and reduce our reliance on volatile imported fossil fuels,” Cunniffe said.