Economy Minister Dr. Caoimhe Archibald has launched the Energy Strategy Action Plan 2025, outlining the key steps Northern Ireland will take this year to advance its transition towards a secure, affordable, and clean energy system. This is the fourth annual action plan following the Executive's ‘Path to Net Zero' energy strategy, launched in 2021, and is designed to help achieve the strategy's goal of self-sufficiency in affordable renewable energy.

The 2025 plan focuses on several critical areas, including:

• Consultation on the terms and conditions for the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme, paving the way for the first auction in 2026.

• Designing a support scheme for future low-carbon heating and energy efficiency in residential buildings.

• Developing a smart meter design plan to ensure the electricity grid is prepared to support the target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030.

• Implementing an all-of-Government approach to deliver local benefits through a community energy pathfinder project.

Launching the plan, Minister Archibald emphasised the economic opportunities presented by the energy transition: "Delivering an integrated decarbonised energy system presents huge economic opportunities for the north and interlinks the priorities of my Department's economic plan." She also stressed the urgency of moving away from fossil fuels: "While much progress has been made to date, the importance of our need to accelerate towards energy self-sufficiency and away from a long-standing reliance on fossil fuels is clear."

The Minister highlighted the collaborative effort required to achieve the plan's objectives: "Delivering on this year's Action Plan will require commitment across Government, the energy sector, business and academia to ensure that we deliver a just transition. This Plan is a roadmap to focus that transition and will bring the Department and its partners closer to meeting our decarbonisation targets and Climate Change Act commitments."

A key component of the Action Plan is the Department's commitment to conduct the Energy Strategy Mid-Term Review, which will assess progress since 2021 and establish key milestones leading up to 2030.

"This Action Plan marks a significant shift to delivering on our 2030 targets and I welcome the commitment to review the Energy Strategy to ensure that we are focused on delivering against those net zero targets," added Minister Archibald.

Alongside the 2025 plan, the Minister also published the Energy Strategy Action Plan Report 2024, which details the progress made by the Department and its government partners on a range of actions undertaken in the previous year.