Economy Minister Dr. has today set out a
roadmap for 2025 to advance the transition towards secure,
affordable and clean energy.
This is the fourth annual action plan to be published following
the launch of the Executive's Northern Ireland Energy Strategy
‘Path to Net Zero' in 2021. The Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025
is a key step to achieving the Strategy's commitment to
self-sufficiency in affordable renewable energy.
The key actions outlined in the Action Plan to be taken forward
this year include:
• a consultation on the terms and conditions
for the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme to enable the first
auction in 2026;
• a support scheme design for future low carbon
heat and energy efficiency in residential buildings;
• a smart meter design plan to enable an
electricity grid ready to support delivery of the 80% renewable
electricity target by 2030; and
• an all-of-Government approach to plan and
deliver benefit at a local level through a community energy
pathfinder project.
Launching the Action Plan, the Minister said: “Delivering
an integrated decarbonised energy system presents huge economic
opportunities for the north and interlinks the priorities of my
Department's economic plan.
“While much progress has been made to date, the
importance of our need to accelerate towards energy
self-sufficiency and away from a long-standing reliance on fossil
fuels is clear.
“Delivering on this year's Action Plan will require
commitment across Government, the energy sector, business and
academia to ensure that we deliver a just transition. This Plan
is a roadmap to focus that transition and will bring the
Department and its partners closer to meeting our decarbonisation
targets and Climate Change Act commitments.”
Included in the Action Plan is the Department's commitment to
carry out the Energy Strategy Mid-Term Review, reporting on
progress from 2021 and establishing the key milestones to 2030.
The Minister added: “This Action Plan marks a significant
shift to delivering on our 2030 targets and I welcome the
commitment to review the Energy Strategy to ensure that we are
focused on delivering against those net zero targets.”
Alongside the Action Plan, the Minister also published the Energy
Strategy Action Plan Report 2024, detailing progress on a range
of actions carried out by the Department and Government partners
in 2024.
Notes to editors:
1. The Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025 and Energy Strategy
Action Plan Report 2024 are available at: https://www.economy-ni.gov.uk/publications/energy-strategy-action-plan-2025-and-action-plan-report-2024
2. The Energy Strategy – Path to Net Zero Energy was
published in December 2021 and sets out a pathway for energy to
2030 that will mobilise the skills, technologies and behaviours
needed to take us towards our ambition of self-sufficiency in
affordable renewable energy.
3. The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
established that the Department for the Economy must ensure at
least 80% electricity consumption from renewable sources by 2030,
superseding the 70% renewable electricity consumption target
established in the Energy Strategy (2021).
4. The Department for the Economy's Economic Vision contains
four key priorities of delivering more good jobs; addressing
regional imbalance; increasing productivity; and delivering
decarbonisation.
