Only 1% Progress: Northern Ireland’s Energy Strategy Under Scrutiny
Northern Ireland’s transition to cleaner energy is lagging far behind schedule, according to a new report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO), which warns that key goals in the region’s Energy Strategy are unlikely to be met without major changes in oversight and delivery.
The Energy Strategy, launched in 2021, promised to steer Northern Ireland toward net zero carbon emissions and more affordable energy by mid-century. But nearly four years on, progress has been limited. The audit found that by March 2025, Northern Ireland had achieved just 1% of its energy savings target and only 45% of electricity generation from renewables — a sharp shortfall against the 80% goal set for 2030.
Since 2020, the Department for the Economy has spent around £107 million implementing the strategy, including £85 million on capital projects. Yet the NIAO said it was “difficult to assess whether this expenditure represents value for money,” citing weak governance and an absence of clear milestones to measure progress.
Auditor General Dorinnia Carville described the implementation process as “concerning”, pointing to a lack of clarity in annual action plans and delayed oversight. The Energy Strategy Oversight Group — established to track progress — did not begin formal monitoring until September 2024, nearly three years after the strategy was published.
“The Energy Strategy has a pivotal role in ensuring Northern Ireland meets its ambitions on net zero and energy efficiency,” Carville said. “But successful implementation requires good governance and effective oversight.”
The Department has committed to a strategic review in 2025, but the report leaves a broader question hanging: is the problem with the strategy itself, or with how it is being run? With just a fraction of the promised progress delivered, and millions of pounds already spent, public patience may begin to wear thin. Unless results start to match rhetoric soon, Northern Ireland risks losing not only time — but confidence in its entire energy transition effort.