Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

330 Chapter 12: Environment and Energy Renewable fuels such as solid, liquid and gaseous forms of bioenergy and hydrogen will be needed in sectors not currently suited to electrification, such as heavy goods transport and some sectors of industry and to balance an electricity grid based on variable renewable electricity technologies. A net zero energy system can bring multiple benefits, including improved energy security and significantly reduced import of fossil fuels into Ireland to meet our energy needs, from over 80% today (SEAI, 2024d) to less than 5% in the future, and societal co-benefits, including improved human health and air quality. To ensure grid stability and security of supply, the system will also require other options, such as increased interconnection, demand flexibility, storage and zero-emission back-up generation. The ICCA report highlights that renewable energy not only reduces emissions but also opens up opportunities in the green economy, including for coastal communities and farmers, and distributed energy enables homeowners to be producers of energy, lowering energy bills. The energy transition requires consideration of issues beyond technical aspects, including environmental, societal, economic and governance dimensions. In this context, the ICCA report identifies the need for an enhanced regulatory and planning framework to accelerate the deployment of renewables, realise co-benefits and manage trade-offs, competition and impacts on other land uses, including biodiversity, food production and carbon sequestration. Effective frameworks for investment in Ireland’s energy transition are needed, and significant redirection of fossil fuel subsidies can contribute to this process. SEAI has highlighted the challenge of establishing a sufficient supply of competent providers to meet the needs of the National Retrofit Plan. Similar challenges have also been highlighted in the renewables industry. Addressing these gaps in national capability will be critical to achieving the transformational changes needed to progress to net zero.