Minister O’Brien welcomes historic €18.9 billion investment in energy infrastructure

CRU’s Price Review 6 sets out a transformative regulatory and investment framework up to 2030
 
PR6 will enable the investment our energy system needs to deliver on housing, industrial development, digitalisation and climate action
 
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien has today welcomed the publication of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) Final Determination on Price Review 6 (PR6), covering the period 2026 to 2030. The CRU sets expenditure by EirGrid and ESB Networks in 5-year cycles called Price Reviews. PR6 paves the way for an historic investment of up to €18.9 billion in Ireland’s energy infrastructure – to provide for our growing population and facilitate investment in our economy.
 
Unprecedented €3.5 billion Government equity investment
 
The PR6 programme will be supported by an unprecedented €3.5 billion Government equity investment in our electricity infrastructure, as committed to in the revised National Development Plan in July. As part of this investment, €1.5 billion will be transferred to ESB this week, to support delivery of onshore electricity infrastructure over the next five years.
 
The Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act 2025, which provided the mechanism for the investment in ESB, was enacted as a matter of priority at the end of November. To ensure strong Government oversight of the investment, the Minister will receive quarterly monitoring reports as to the expenditure of the investment and progress on delivery of the overall PR6 investment programme.
 
Energy infrastructure
 
Energy infrastructure is a critical component of Government action on housing, industrial development, digitalisation and climate action. The investment levels agreed in PR6 will enable delivery of essential energy infrastructure as set out in the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure report and action plan. PR6 also provides for investment in network capacity to ensure that we can accommodate more renewable energy generation on our grid.
 
Welcoming the determination, Minister O’Brien said:
 
“Ireland is entering into the most significant period of energy infrastructure development since rural electrification. The Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan demands bold ambition, and PR6 helps us to deliver that. The framework will deliver the resilience our energy system needs to withstand extreme weather events. The large-scale investment also means that Ireland can develop the energy system that is required to deliver on our housing, industrial development, digitalisation and climate action goals. In the long run, it will also deliver cost benefits to households. Investment in our grid now will facilitate more home-grown renewables that will ultimately reduce our reliance on volatile international gas markets.
 
“I also welcome the transfer – this week – of €1.5 billion in Government equity to ESB, as committed to in the revised National Development Plan. This funding will ensure ESB Networks is sufficiently financed to begin delivering on the ambitious PR6 investment programme starting next year.”
 
The PR6 programme will facilitate a wide range of infrastructure delivery including:
 

• The connection of up to 300,000 new homes by 2030;
• Electrification of public transport projects, including preparation for Metrolink;
• Upgrading and preparing our network through an annual network resilience programme, to meet the challenges of climate and storms;
• Increasing capacity on the network and upgrading existing infrastructure, to meet the growing electricity demand from homes and businesses;
• Network infrastructure to support the connection of up to 1 million electric vehicles and the very significant roll-out of heat pumps.

 
Overall, the PR6 programme of works is intended to strengthen and improve Ireland’s national grid infrastructure, allowing ESB Networks and EirGrid to connect new homes and businesses, reduce curtailment and constraint costs for consumers (thus reducing energy bills) and make Ireland’s electricity grid more resilient to the effects of storms. Furthermore, the upgrade of the grid will facilitate the development of renewable energy – both onshore and offshore – and prepare for important public transport projects such as Metrolink.