DECC Publishes Guiding Principles For The Development Of A 'Private Wires' Policy

The Irish Government has approved a set of guiding principles for the development of its "Private Wires" policy (the Private Wires Policy). This follows the public consultation on Private Wires which closed late last year.

A New Approach

The development of the Private Wires Policy has been a goal of each of the Climate Action Plan 2021, the Climate Action Plan 2023 and the Climate Action Plan 2024. The publication of the Private Wires Policy is expected to represent a major shift in Ireland's approach to the buildout of its electricity infrastructure as it strives to decarbonise.

What are Private Wires?

The term "Private Wire" is used in this context to refer to private entities running their own electricity cables to transfer electricity. Private Wire arrangements contemplate demand users of electricity creating a physical connection (via a direct, private wire or private network) with an electricity generator on a different property, for their own