ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 55 Rittal Industry News The CRU is committed to the twin goals of decarbonisation and digitalisation as outlined in Government policy. Furthermore, they recognise Ireland as being a world leader in digital and ICT technologies, and in the R&D and manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and other sectors. This consultation, and the open call for evidence that preceded it, is targeted at identifying the measures by which Ireland can meet our legally binding carbon budgets, while facilitating further economic growth, acting in concert with industry’s own clear ambition to decarbonise. However, this stage of the process requires all to move from long term ambition and statement of intent to more speci c, actionable short and medium-term measures. The CRU is calling on all stakeholders, including consumers, industry, Government Departments, semi-state entities and agencies for continued engagement as we move to this next stage in the consultative process. This will support the identi cation of the means by which we can achieve the goal of decarbonising our economic growth, and the crossgovernment policy, regulatory and other cross-agency measures required to enable this necessary decarbonisation. The National Energy Demand Strategy For Ireland to meet its carbon emissions targets, as set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23), it will be necessary for electricity and gas National Energy Demand Strategy Consultation ‒On the 21st December 2023, the CRU published the National Energy Demand Strategy Consultation Paper (CRU2023148). This will further inform the development of the National Energy Demand Strategy (NEDS) to reduce the carbon intensity of energy demand in Ireland, as we continue to grow our economy. demand to become more exible. Demand exibility will allow energy customers to optimise their use of renewable generation by shifting demand from periods of high carbon to low carbon intensity generation on the electricity grid. The objective of the National Energy Demand Strategy (NEDS) is to facilitate a co-ordinated approach across all relevant public bodies working to increase demand exibility. This will allow Ireland to decarbonise its economic growth, support energy customers having more control over when they use energy, and to move their consumption to times when renewable generation is available, as energy demand is expected to increase in Ireland over the next number of years. In order to realise the strategy vision, actions will need to be taken across energy; enterprise; environmental; spatial and planning policy; regulatory; and other decisions will need to be taken across Government departments, local authorities, enterprise development agencies and other public bodies. The strategy will consider the options on how all customer groups can be incentivised or facilitated to bring greater exibility to their energy consumption, leading to decarbonisation, enhanced security of supply, and lower system costs. Call For Evidence Responses The CRU initially published four papers for consultation and feedback as part of the NEDS – Call for Evidence package in June 2023. This initiated the rst stage of the NEDS and requested guidance from relevant industry and consumer stakeholders on the proposed key areas of focus and to establish areas of innovation that may be included in the overall consultation. The rst phase of the NEDS proposes three focus areas of Smart Services; Demand Flexibility and Response and New Demand Connections as key to delivering the change required. Some of the more signi cant suggestions from stakeholders included broadening the scope of the NEDS to include Demand Side Units (DSUs) participating in the Single Electricity Market (SEM), the potential for electri cation of industrial heat and a broader role for storage solutions, such as batteries, in the NEDS. The CRU invites all stakeholders to submit their views, observations and suggestions in relation to the key topics and questions that have been identi ed in this National Energy Demand Strategy Consultation Paper as requiring due consideration. Responses are to be submitted preferably via email by close of business on Friday, 16th February 2024 to energydemandstrategy@cru.ie www.cru.ie
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