Irish households face some of the highest electricity bills in Europe, while growing demand from data centres and continued dependence on imported fossil fuels are placing increasing pressure on the country’s energy system. These challenges have reignited debate over whether Ireland should reconsider its long-standing prohibition on domestic nuclear power generation.
The scale of the challenge is reflected in electricity prices. Eurostat data for the second half of 2025 shows Irish households paid 40.42 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, including taxes and levies, 40% above the EU average. Since the beginning of 2023, Ireland has consistently recorded the highest household electricity prices in Europe when taxes and levies are excluded. As a result, Irish households pay an average of €480 more per year than the EU average.
According to Paul Deane of the University College Cork, a household electricity bill can be broken into five broad categories; electricity generation accounts for about 35% of a household bill, with transmission making up 20% and grid operation 25%. The remaining 20% is evenly split between supplier costs and margins and government taxes.
Ireland remains heavily reliant on imports, with around 80% of its energy supplied by fossil fuels sourced abroad. Speaking with Kieran Cuddy, Deane described Ireland as the “most dependent country on natural gas for electricity in North West Europe”, spending roughly 1 million euros per hour on oil and gas.
This dependency has left Ireland exposed to global energy shocks, such as the war in Ukraine and the conflicts in the Middle East.
At the same time, data centres continue to demand more electricity than ever, rising from 5% of metered electricity consumption in 2015 to 22% in 2024, with this share set to increase to more than 30% in the next 5 years, raising concerns over the country’s ability to meet these future demands.
Together, these challenges have prompted renewed debate over whether Ireland should reconsider its ban on domestic energy being created by nuclear fission.
The domestic production of electricity through nuclear fission is prohibited by two pieces of legislation:
Section 37K of the Planning and Development Act 2000 provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed as authorising development consisting of an installation for the generation of electricity by nuclear fission.
Similarly, Section 18(6) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999, prevents the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment from making an order providing for the use of nuclear fission in electricity generation.
Together, these provisions prevent domestic nuclear power generation. However, the continued suitability of this policy has increasingly been questioned.
Although neither the Programme for Government (2025) nor the National Energy and Climate Plan 2021-2030 indicates a change in policy, mounting pressure due to the rising cost of electricity, EU support for the expansion of digital infrastructure, decarbonisation targets and concerns regarding security of supply, have contributed to a growing debate over the role of nuclear energy in Ireland.
A Business Post/Red C poll has shown that 43% of respondents supported removing the prohibition on domestic nuclear power generation, compared to 28% who did not want the ban lifted. A further 19% were neutral, while 10% were unsure.
The shifting attitude across society has been reflected in both the polling and the introduction of the Electricity Regulation (Removal of Nuclear Fission Prohibitions) Bill 2026, which is to be brought before the Oireachtas.
While neither government policy nor legislation currently points to a significant shift in Ireland’s approach to nuclear energy, the debate appears unlikely to disappear. Rising electricity costs, growing demand from data centres, concerns about energy security and Ireland’s climate commitments are all expected to keep energy policy high on the political agenda.
The progress of the Electricity Regulation (Removal of Nuclear Fission Prohibitions) Bill 2026 will provide an early indication of whether political attitudes are beginning to change. Regardless of its outcome, questions surrounding how Ireland can secure affordable, reliable and low-carbon electricity are likely to remain central to discussions about the country’s energy future.
