ACC News Brief
Clean Energy Northern Ireland
Official statistics - the 50 percent measure uses gross final consumption, not generation alone
Renewables reach half of Northern Ireland's gross final electricity consumption
What happened
Northern Ireland generated 4,431 GWh of renewable electricity in the year ending June 2026, equivalent to 50 percent of gross final electricity consumption of 8,865 GWh, up from 44 percent a year earlier. Renewables supplied 53 percent of electricity generated within Northern Ireland, and wind accounted for 74 percent of renewable generation.
ACC context
Gross final consumption equals generation plus imports minus exports. Demand has declined over the historical series, and Northern Ireland remained a net electricity importer during the latest year.
Why it matters
Renewable generation exceeded non-renewable generation on a rolling 12-month basis from January 2026 onward, a change from the series extending back to 2018. The result also shows the distance remaining to the statutory goal of at least 80 percent of electricity consumption from renewables by 2030.
What to watch
- Quarterly updates on renewable generation, gross final consumption, imports, and exports.
- Grid, storage, interconnection, and market changes needed to integrate a higher renewable share.
- Progress toward the statutory 80 percent goal without confusing consumption and domestic-generation measures.
Sources & evidence
- Electricity consumption and renewable generation in Northern Ireland: year ending June 2026Northern Ireland Department for the Economy official statistics release published September 3, 2026.
Continue learning with ACC
Explore how renewable generation, storage, and transmission work together
