Irish wind farms generated a third of the island’s electricity in 2025, according to Wind Energy Ireland’s annual wind energy report.
The organisation said installed onshore wind capacity in the Republic has passed 5000MW after 150MW was added last year.
It added that wind farms produced about 13,634GWh in 2025, with Kerry the top-producing county followed by Cork and Galway.
Wind supplied 39% of electricity in December and helped push wholesale prices down from €136.99 in December 2024 to €108.48 last month, the group said.
Noel Cunniffe (pictured), chief executive of Wind Energy Ireland, said: “Our members can be proud of the role Irish wind farms played last year in supporting electricity consumers and reducing our carbon emissions.
“Ireland now has over 5,000 MW of onshore wind energy with a further 450MW in construction and 2,500 MW of projects with planning permission.”
He added that expanding wind, strengthening the grid, adding storage and electrifying the economy could build an “Irish electrostate” powered by secure, clean energy.
The report highlighted increasing levels of dispatch-down, with EirGrid figures showing 13% of wind energy did not reach users last year.
Average dispatch-down levels have risen by just over 1% annually since 2016, leading to higher reliance on imported fossil fuels, the data showed.
Cunniffe added: “In 2025, 13 per cent of Ireland’s cheapest electricity was wasted because our existing grid was simply not strong enough to carry all the power that our wind farms produced to Irish homes and businesses.
“Making the electricity grid strong enough to accommodate increasing volumes of affordable energy is essential.”
He said investment in storage and continued political backing for grid upgrades by EirGrid and ESB Networks will be important in 2026.
December delivered the second highest wind generation on record at 1,523GWh, while total renewable share reached 43% when including solar and other sources.
Wholesale electricity prices averaged €76.41/MWh on the windiest days in December but rose to €148.55/MWh when fossil fuels dominated supply.
Cunniffe said: “Irish people want the clean energy that wind farms provide and by growing our renewable energy sector, we can build an Ireland that is energy independent, delivering warm homes, cleaner air and one that meets the needs of our growing economy.
“The more wind energy that we produce here in Ireland, the more in control of our own energy supply we can be.”