Windiest June on Record for Irish Wind Energy Production
01 July, 2015
First six months of 2015 sees one-quarter of Irish electricity demand met from wind energy, as new report confirms wind’s role in bringing down power prices
A blustery start to the summer period and new wind energy projects which came into operation 
helped wind energy meet one-fifth (20%) of Ireland’s entire electricity demand in June, making last month the most productive June on record in terms of wind energy production.
The peak for the month in terms of wind energy production was recorded on June 1st when Irish wind energy output hit 1805MW, enough energy to power over 1.1 million homes, according to figures published by EirGrid, who monitor electricity generation and usage.
Overall, since the beginning of 2015, wind energy has met one-quarter (25%) of Irish electricity demand.
Commenting on the new wind energy record, Kenneth Matthews, CEO of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) said:
“Although it wasn’t the best June in terms of summer weather, it was a very positive month for our environment with wind energy decreasing our consumption of imported fossil fuels, further reducing our C02 emissions.
“Asides from being a record month, what’s even more important is that over 2,000 people visited Irish wind farms last month to see for themselves wind energy in action and to learn about the benefits of this indigenous Irish energy.
“Clean wind energy is delivering for Ireland, reducing our dependency on expensive foreign energy imports, promoting investment and jobs, and helping to protect our environment for future generations.”
The half-year figures for Irish wind energy are released as a Moody’s Investor Services Report confirmed that increased Irish wind energy will contribute to a fall in the wholesale power prices over the next three years. Commenting on the Moody’s findings, Kenneth Matthews stated:
“We welcome the clear confirmation that Irish wind energy is bringing down power prices, this verifies what the European Commission and others have already said about the power of Irish wind energy to bring down electricity prices.”
Last month saw a record number of over 2,000 people visiting Irish wind farms across the country, doubling the figure from 2014, as a record number of wind farms across the island of Ireland opened to the public throughout June as part of Global Wind Day celebrations.
There were 25 events held at various wind farms across 16 counties including walking tours, charity runs, school visits, photo competitions and family fun events.There are currently 191 wind farms operating in Ireland with the industry employing over 3,400 people nationwide.