Imports are a familiar concern across Irish agriculture, from grain and vegetables to beef. But Ireland is also becoming increasingly reliant on another import, electricity.
New figures from the CSO show that net imports accounted for 17% of Ireland’s electricity grid supply in 2025, as the volume of electricity coming from abroad continued to rise.
Overall, 35,884 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity was supplied to the grid during the year. This was an increase of 3.5% compared with 34,684 GWh in 2024, and was 8% higher than the level recorded in 2023.
The majority of the latest annual increase in electricity supply came from net imports, rather than additional electricity generated within Ireland.
Domestic electricity generation still provided the bulk of the country’s supply, accounting for 82% of electricity supplied to the grid in 2025. Net imports accounted for 17%, while electricity discharged from storage made up the remaining 1%.
The figures show that net electricity imports reached 6,130 GWh during 2025. This was 1,069 GWh higher than in 2024, representing an annual increase of 21%.
The longer-term increase was even more significant, with net electricity imports in 2025 standing 87% higher than they were in 2023.
Net imports refer to the amount of electricity imported into Ireland after electricity exports are taken into account.
Ireland imported a total of 6,611 GWh of electricity during 2025. By comparison, just 481 GWh was exported from the country during the year.
Interconnectors
Interconnection is an important part of Ireland’s electricity system, allowing power to be exchanged with neighbouring countries.
High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology is used to transfer large amounts of electricity over long distances, including through subsea cables.
The all-island electricity system currently has three connections with Great Britain, while a new 700 MW interconnector between Ireland and France is under construction.
Interconnectors can strengthen security of supply by giving the electricity system access to power from neighbouring markets when it is needed.
This is becoming increasingly important as Ireland adds more renewable electricity to the grid. Wind generation can vary considerably depending on weather conditions, meaning electricity supply must be balanced as renewable output rises and falls.
Interconnection provides some of this flexibility. Electricity can be imported when additional supply is required and exported at times when domestic generation is high.
There is also an economic role for interconnection, as electricity can be traded between different markets.
Wholesale electricity prices vary depending on factors such as demand, available generation, fuel costs and weather conditions. Connecting electricity systems allows power to flow between markets in response to these differences.
This can help make more efficient use of available generation across interconnected markets and potentially provide access to lower-cost electricity.
Electricity imported into Ireland is also treated as zero-emission electricity in Ireland’s power-sector accounting, regardless of how it was generated in the country of origin.
Further interconnection between Great Britain and neighbouring electricity systems is now being developed.
Ofgem has approved three additional interconnector projects in principle under its regulatory framework, including two proposed connections with the island of Ireland. The projects remain subject to regulatory conditions.
Electricity generation
While imports increased significantly, the amount of electricity generated in Ireland changed relatively little during the year. Total electricity generation stood at 29,335 GWh in 2025, a marginal increase on the 29,267 GWh generated in 2024.
Renewable sources accounted for half of all grid-scale electricity generated during the year, although their contribution varied significantly, depending on conditions.
The renewable share reached a high of 86% on 23 February, but fell as low as 11% on 20 January, with the difference largely driven by variations in wind generation.
Despite renewables accounting for half of overall generation, gas remained the largest individual source of electricity in 2025, providing 47% of the total. Wind was the next largest source and by far the biggest renewable contributor, accounting for 40% of electricity generated during the year.
Solar remained a much smaller part of the generation mix, but continued to grow rapidly. Grid-scale solar farms produced 1,101 GWh of electricity in 2025, an increase of 51% compared with 2024.