The Irish government has launched a consultation on a grid model to connect future offshore wind projects.
Energy Minister Richard Bruton is calling for input from industry on a number of scenarios for delivering power to shore from Irish Sea wind farms.
The options include a developer led one where each project would design its own connection to a more centralised plan led offshore transmission development.
The consultation runs to 1 July, after which Dublin will publish its preferred option.
Ireland has set a target of at least 3.5GW of offshore wind by 2030.
“Decarbonising our electricity grid is central to our plan to deliver on our climate ambitions. 3,500 MW of the step up in renewable energy, enough to power over 3 million homes, will come from offshore wind. It is crucial that we put in place a model that allows us to scale up and realise the changes required,” said Bruton.
“This consultation, along with ongoing reforms to our marine spatial planning regime and the forthcoming Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, is an important step towards establishing a clear policy framework for offshore wind in Ireland. I encourage all stakeholders to engage and put forward their views.”