Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe says that the EU must get serious about creating a European Supergrid, by offering accelerated planning permission for interconnectors under the EU’s Projects of Common and Mutual Interest (PCI) scheme and increasing funding. MEP Cuffe made the comments at the Wind Energy Ireland’s Offshore Wind 2024 conference, where he is a panel speaker. The conference continues tomorrow at the Clayton Hotel on Leeson Street Upper, when Irish Energy Minister Eamon Ryan will deliver a keynote address.

Speaking from the Offshore Wind2024 conference, Ciarán Cuffe MEP said:

“Ireland and Europe are at a critical juncture. Ireland has the potential to become a global leader in renewable energy: our offshore area is 10 times our land mass, it’s relatively free of shipping, and it has stronger wind speeds than any other EU country. If we are to fully harness the power of offshore wind, we need to have a European Supergrid. Grid reinforcement will ensure that we reap the benefits of our offshore future sooner rather than later. 

“More interconnections with our neighbours will allow us to import energy when we need it, and export renewables when we have more than enough. It would also eventually allow us to link our electricity grids with countries like Norway and Spain allowing more hydropower and solar-generated electricity to flow across the continent.

“EU support will be essential in shaping this. We need to see more interconnectors receiving EU funding and accelerated planning permission under the Projects of Common and Mutual Interest (PCI) scheme. The right influence in Brussels can ensure that priority projects make it onto the PCI list and benefit from enhanced support. This would speed up the development of an EU Supergrid and cement Ireland’s place as a global leader in renewable energy.”

Ciarán Cuffe is ranked as the 8th most influential energy MEP in the European Parliament and was named Energy MEP of the year in 2023. He is one of two sitting Irish MEPs on the European Parliament’s energy committee (ITRE). Alongside his work as an MEP, he is President of the European Forum for Renewable Energy Sources (EUFORES), a network facilitating open dialogue between European and national policymakers about developing Europe’s renewable energy potential.