Last month was the third best July on record for wind generation in Ireland, a new report shows.
The data from Wind Energy Ireland shows that power generation in July reached 656 gigawatt-hours.
Wind farms in Cork produced the most energy with 80 GWh, followed closely by Kerry at 66 GWh and Galway at 55 GWh.
Together, the top three counties provided almost a third of Ireland’s wind power last month.
However, the report shows that the 22% share of demand met by wind energy last month was down 11% compared to record-breaking results in the same month last year.
Solar power and other renewables accounted for 7% of Ireland’s electricity.
The average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland per megawatt-hour during July was €110.94, up slightly from €107.74 the previous month.
Prices on days with the most wind power saw the average cost of a megawatt-hour of electricity decrease by 36 per cent, to €70.30 per megawatt hour and rise to €129.95 on days when we relied almost entirely on fossil fuels.
“Having an affordable, accessible and reliable source of clean energy is vital for consumers to have confidence in our transition to a zero-carbon society,” said Justin Moran, Director of External Affairs at Wind Energy Ireland.
“Electricity generated from Irish wind farms replaces imported fossil fuels and pushes the wholesale price of electricity downwards.
“The more wind we can get on the system, the less we have to rely on expensive imported gas and the more we can do to help Irish households struggling with high energy costs,” he added.
In the first seven months of 2024, the report confirms that wind farms provided 32% of Ireland’s electricity.
