The Irish government has approved a new ‘private wires’ policy to allow direct connections between renewable energy generators and electricity users. Currently, only ESB Networks, the Transmission and Distribution System Operator (TSO and DSO), is permitted to own the lines that deliver electricity from generators to customers. Under the new policy, private investors will be allowed to build and own electricity lines in specific cases.
Examples include wind or solar parks supplying electricity directly to factories or industrial sites, as well as connections between generators and battery storage operators. Private wires will also be permitted for on-street EV charging solutions and for situations where a self-supplying business can provide surplus electricity to a neighbouring customer, provided the connection does not cross third-party land.
The government will prepare and approve the legislation, with pre-legislative scrutiny expected by year-end. It is set to be enacted by the second quarter of next year, with private wires operational in the second half of 2026 under the supervision of the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), the Irish energy regulator.
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