NESC Hosts Dialogue on Power Sector Decarbonisation

• 15 September 2025
• Topics: Energy and renewables
• Types: News

Difficult and Urgent Tasks on Path to Power Sector Decarbonisation, NESC Roundtable Hears

The National Economic and Social Council (NESC) convened policy experts and researchers on 8^th September 2025 to consider an agreed pathway to a decarbonised power system for Ireland.

Twenty representatives from the government, business, workers, environmental, agriculture, and community sectors heard presentations from NESC and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) about how to further reduce emissions from electricity generation over the coming years.

Dr Cathal FitzGerald, Senior Analyst at NESC who chaired the gathering, said the process was a central element of climate action in Ireland and that it was crucial that an agreed pathway was identified and followed.

“Key to reducing harmful emissions is to decarbonise electricity and to electrify as much as possible, in terms of heat, transport, residences, and industry. The Council’s research [read here] has found that Ireland lacks a clear, agreed decarbonisation pathway that aligns national economic, social, and environmental objectives. Agreeing such a path is key to making the energy transition more likely, and more likely to be successful,” Dr FitzGerald said.

Under the Government’s Climate Action Plans, SEAI is to report on an evidence-based decarbonisation pathway for the electricity system, including a stakeholder consultation, to support future policy. SEAI is therefore undertaking the Decarbonised Electricity System Study.

“As part of SEAI’s important work, technology options – whether it’s solar PV, onshore and offshore wind, hydrogen, etc. – must be assessed against economic, technical, environmental, and socio-political criteria,” Dr FitzGerald stated. “This is a difficult but urgent task, and NESC’s role of providing research, dialogue, and advice on strategic issues can help.”

The gathering discussed the screening and scoring of technologies, assessment criteria, and the application of values to inform multi-criteria analysis to be completed in Q1 2026. Emerging issues included messaging, inclusivity, distributional issues, deliberative processes, and feasibility.