One hundred years ago, the Ardnacrusha hydroelectric scheme opened with an installed capacity of 86 MW. In 1935, it supplied 80 per cent of the country’s electricity. In the intervening century, things changed. By 2023, fossil fuels generated 48.9 per cent of the country’s electricity supply; overall, 82.7 per cent of Ireland’s energy came from fossil fuels, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Ireland is again trying to increase its share of renewable electricity, under pressure from State targets to bring the share of electricity generated from renewable sources back up to 80 per cent by 2030. Offshore…

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