The Large Energy-User Action Plan

Objective

Summary/Commentary

Timeframe

1. Deliver electricity grid investment

Action: Progress multi-annual investment in electricity infrastructure

• Electricity System Operators (SOs) will invest heavily in grid infrastructure in the Price Review 6 (PR6) period up to 2030, which is in line with Ireland’s 80% renewable energy target.
• The Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce will get quarterly updates on the key PR6 projects.

From 2026

2. Energy system planning

Action: Create an energy system plan with centralised spatial demand and generation projections, including new LEUs, across electricity and gas SOs.

• The Department of Climate Energy and the Environment (DCEE) will ensure that electricity/gas SOs develop, plan and operate with a set of shared objectives in mind. The Government will be directly involved in this process and policy will outline the national ambition for Green Energy Parks.
• This process is intended to meet the requirements for joint scenario development across electricity, gas, renewable gas, hydrogen and district heating as set out in the revised EU Gas Package measures.
• This new process does not replace the existing planning functions and responsibilities of SOs, and builds on existing processes such as the All-island Resource Adequacy Assessment.

2027

3. Demand flexibility

Action: Design flexible or ‘non-firm’ contracts and hybrid connections for LEUs that maximise utilisation of available grid and renewable electricity use.

• It is assumed that existing and new infrastructure will be more efficient, cheaper and lower carbon intensity if LEUs, including data centres, can use grid power when renewables are plentiful and reduce grid demand when they are not, and/or when the grid is constrained.
• This should include consideration of opportunities for cost effective flexible LEU demand connections, and/or hybrid connections.
• The CRU is required to implement measures that incentivise SOs to deliver flexible demand connections for LEUs. This will include consideration of opportunities for flexible LEU demand connections / hybrid connections for grid infrastructure.
• EU Directive 2024/1711 requires SOs to offer the possibility of flexible connection agreements in areas of limited network capacity.

2027

Objective

Summary/Commentary

Timeframe

4. Markets and Tariffs that unlock demand flexibility

Action: Energy Network Tariffs, market operation and grid code redesign to deliver LEU demand flexibility.

• Due to the intermittency of renewables and network constraints, market design and tariff structures which incentivise demand flexibility by LEUs is essential. By implementing these incentives, it is expected there will be greater consumption of electricity at times when there is an abundance of renewable energy available and reduced consumption during peak demand periods. This will lower carbon emissions, reduce the cost of electricity and make efficient use of the grid.
• The National Energy Demand Strategy sets out a series of further actions required to achieve this, with a revised demand strategy due in 2026.

As per a revised and expedited National Energy Demand Strategy (publication 2026)

5. System Operators empowered to facilitate plan-led approach

Action: Assess powers of System Operators and the CRU to facilitate plan-led demand locations, and associated enhanced anticipatory infrastructure investments and/or prioritised connection types

• A strategic approach is to be taken in facilitating the co-location of demand load, generation and storage. This would be a marked change from the current ‘developer led’ system of grid planning.
• To provide for a plan-led approach in establishing Green Energy Parks, an assessment of legal powers and responsibilities of SOs is required.
• The Government will consider the appropriate funding mechanisms to enable this investment.

2027 – position paper, followed by new legislation if required

6. Legislate Government Private Wires Policy

Action: Legislate for Ireland’s new Private Wire Policy.

• By allowing for the installation of private electricity infrastructure that is consistent with national infrastructure, this will enable expedited infrastructure delivery.
• This policy will result in innovative energy parks systems in certain locations. The new General Scheme for the Private Wires Bill was approved in 2025. It will be legislated for in 2026. We discuss this General Scheme in a previous article

2026

Objective

Summary/Commentary

Timeframe

7. Model LEU demand scenarios

Action: Model a range of plan-led LEU development scenarios and locations to inform policy choices

• A set of scenarios relating to LEU development will be modelled and considered.
• The modelling will provide an opportunity to consider plan-led industrial development opportunities and interdependencies within Transmission System Operator (TSO) and Distribution System Operators (DSO) grid planning. This will inform a more integrated approach across SOs, the regulator and Government, as outlined in point 2 of the Action Plan.

Q2 2026

8. Embed LEAP strategy in national spatial planning policy

Action: Prepare a National Planning Statement on Green Energy Park development.

• The preparation of a National Planning statement for Green Energy Parks should provide more clarity on large energy intensive sectors in green energy park developments, but will not be sector prescriptive.
• This will give further effect to existing Government policy regarding data centre development. It should hopefully help facilitate larger data centre facilities that have more locational flexibility and provide for an efficient use of grid resources.
• A technical working group to progress analysis and drafting of the National Planning Statement will be established.

2026

9. Establish Data Centre Sector Roundtable

Action: Convene Annual Data Centre Sector Roundtable for greater sectoral and government engagement.

• The Government and Energy SOs will engage annually with representatives of the data centre sector for feedback on the implementation of LEAP.

Objective

Summary/Commentary

Timeframe

10. ‘Single point of contact’ for Green Energy Parks

Action: Consider development of a ‘Single Point of Contact’ mechanism for plan-led Green Energy Park developments.

• Development of a 'Single Point of Contact' (SPC) mechanism for developer-led and plan-led Green Energy Park development for coordination and permit granting procedures.
• This SPC, envisaged under the Renewable Energy Directive III and the Net Zero Industry Act, will facilitate prioritisation of development within a green energy park to maximise environmental benefits for the State.

2027

11. Connect Offshore Wind to Green Energy Parks

Action: Support the further development of a CPPA ‘Route to Market’ for offshore wind to supply Green Energy Parks.

• The plan-led approach should ensure that new developments are powered primarily by renewable energy. The LEAP notes that it may be necessary for some developers to contract with ‘merchant’ offshore wind development through Corporate Power Purchase agreements (CPPAs).
• This action will create opportunities for private procurement of renewable energy through CPPAs alongside the generation supported by the Offshore Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (ORESS) to secure cheaper energy for all electricity customers.
• Interestingly this “hybrid” approach was noted by DCEE as a potential option for the next ORESS. With the requirements set out in the LEU connection policy regarding renewable electricity procurement for all new LEU connections, this should further drive large off-taker appetite for CPPAs in the Irish market.

2027

12. LEU Efficiency and Emissions Reporting

Action: Establish and mandate LEU efficiency reporting aligned with EU legislation, and review opportunity for real-time emissions reporting framework.

• This action aims to ensure that decarbonisation ‘real-time’ emissions measurements will be introduced. It also aims to support measures in-line with EU legislation to drive energy efficiency improvements, demand-side flexibility and emissions reporting, including:
  • Article 12 of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) to increase transparency and drive energy efficiency in the data centre industry
  • EED Article 26 to promote utilisation of waste heat from data centres in nearby facilities
  • EU commission rating scheme and minimum performance standards
• Opportunity for real-time emissions reporting infrastructure to enable accurate emissions data, aggregation and reporting by LEUs.
• The hope for LEUs is that, to the extent national level reporting requirements are introduced, these are consistent and dovetail efficiently with EU level reporting to avoid burdensome reporting obligations.

2026

13. Market design to support co-location

Action: Electricity tariff and system services markets that enable co-location and incentivise demand-flexibility.

• Implementation of revised National Energy Demand Strategy will consider new tariff and market structures to help with demand flexibility and efficient use of grid infrastructure, enhancing economic incentives for green energy developments.
• Prospective Green Energy Park development will have access to ‘stackable’ revenue-making opportunities and grid connections to reflect their efficient use of grid infrastructure and provision of additional services which benefit the national energy system operation.

Objective

Summary/Commentary

Timeframe

14. Support opportunities aligned with national policy

Action: Facilitate Direct Engagement with Regional “Green Energy Park” Proposers.

• Government departments and energy SOs will engage directly with proposers of developer-led green energy park projects.

2026 & onwards

15. Develop IDA Strategic site proposals

Action: Progress IDA Ireland ‘Next Generation Sites’

• IDA will assess how the development of Next Generation Sites can complement the plan-led approach to Green Energy Park concepts set out in this strategy.
• IDA’s Regional Property Programme seeks to provide land and advanced infrastructure solutions to both IDA and Enterprise Ireland (EI) client companies. These agencies will play a key role in energy park instigation subject to Government approval.

Proposals 2025; investments from 2030

16. Enterprise support for innovation in energy management

Action: Support innovation in the areas of energy management and storage for LEUs, and consider use of regulatory sandbox.

• The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) will engage EI and IDA on how to support expert suppliers and service providers to LEU sectors to determine how the agencies can drive innovation in the areas of energy management, efficiency and storage.
• The use of a regulatory sandbox to facilitate innovation in energy management will be considered.

2025 Workplan; 2026 implementation

17. Establish ‘Sectors of the Future’ Council

Action: Establish an LEU ‘Sectors of the Future’ expert Council to inform industrial policy approach to Energy Parks.

• The plan-led approach outlined will allow for policy considerations regarding what type of LEU would provide the most advantageous broad economic and social return of Ireland. DETE and its agencies will establish an expert advisory panel.
• DETE will assess whether EU or international regional designations such as ‘hydrogen valleys’ / ‘innovation valleys’ offer opportunities to enhance Green Energy Parks.
• This will include an assessment of whether this will facilitate access to EU funding initiatives, such as the Innovation Fund, Competitiveness Fund, Hydrogen Bank or other EU/global research funds.