New research has shown that Donegal was amongst the top wind energy generators in the country.
The information as Wind Energy Ireland launched a new interactive website.
The website provides a breakdown of wind energy generation and associated benefits across 26 counties with Donegal producing an impressive 7% of Ireland’s wind energy in 2023.
The ‘County Colours’ platform offers users detailed insights into each county’s wind energy contributions.
The breakdown also highlights the carbon emissions savings facilitated by local wind farms, and the important economic contribution wind farms make in their localities via community benefit funds and the commercial rates paid to their county council.
The top performing counties in 2023 in terms of wind energy generation were:
Kerry – 1,664 GWh
Cork – 1,421 GWh
Tipperary – 890 GWh
Galway – 833 GWh
Mayo – 829 GWh
Donegal – 711 GWh
In 2023, wind energy supplied 35% of Ireland’s electricity, underscoring its significance in Ireland’s energy mix. The new website breaks down this figure, county by county, allowing users to explore county-specific data.
Donegal produced 711 GWh of energy in 2023. Kerry led wind energy generation in 2023, generating an impressive 1,664 GWh of energy, followed by Cork with 1,421 GWh. A single gigawatt-hour (GWh) is the same amount of power consumed by around 230 Irish families every year.
These figures are a testament to the collective efforts of local communities and stakeholders in these counties, who have played a crucial role in advancing Ireland’s clean energy transition.
In addition to reducing air pollution, and helping to bring down energy costs, Donegal wind farms also brought significant economic benefits to the county – over 8% of the county council’s commercial rates for the year came from wind farms, totalling over €3.2 million. An additional €329k in community benefit funds was spent in Donegal communities to support local initiatives.
Noel Cunniffe, CEO of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “This platform empowers communities, policymakers and industry stakeholders to understand and appreciate the substantial contributions of each county to our national renewable energy goals. It also highlights the substantial economic benefits associated with wind generation, via County Council rates and community benefit funds”
As Ireland aims to achieve 80% renewable electricity by 2030, Mr Cunniffe highlighted the necessity for continued investment and supportive policies to maintain momentum in the wind energy sector:
“We’ve made significant strides in our wind energy transition. Counties that have generated large amounts of Ireland’s wind energy output should take pride in this achievement.
“Not only will this mean cleaner, more secure, and cheaper energy for the people of Ireland, but on a county level, it will produce significant benefits too. History shows us that where energy is abundant prosperity follows.
“Wind Energy Ireland is committed to working with communities, policymakers and industry partners to build more wind farms, ensuring an affordable, resilient and sustainable energy future for all”.
Explore the new interactive platform here: https://windenergyireland.com/about-wind/the-basics/facts-stats
