Consultation published on Firm Access Arrangements in Northern Ireland

The Utility Regulator has published a consultation paper, including policy options relating to firm access. 

The paper is informed by analysis of the current situation in Northern Ireland pertaining to constraints, network development and the operation of the market. This includes projections of costs and relevant approaches adopted in other jurisdictions. 

The level of firm access granted to renewable generators affects the compensation paid to them when they are prevented from generating electricity (being ‘dispatched down’). This is due to localised constraints on the electricity network, as the electricity they generate cannot be transmitted elsewhere. 

Under the present allocation system, not all generators are granted firm access, until relevant network development projects have been completed. Therefore, they are not entitled to compensation when they are ‘dispatched down’ due to constraints. 

The Utility Regulator’s firm access workstream has arisen in response to requests from non-firm access generators, following Ireland’s change in firm access policy, relatively high levels of dispatch down due to constraints and delays to key network development projects. 

We have set out principles to guide our assessment of policy options for the allocation of firm access and ensure a balance between consumer protection and incentivising renewable generation.

We have laid out options for firm access policy in the future, including retaining the current system of allocation, aligning with the 2023 CRU Decision (CRU/2023114) and pursuing a Northern Ireland specific approach. This could potentially include key performance indicators on SONI and NIE Networks for network development timescales, encouraging demand connections in high constraint areas, consideration of a different approach for non-firm generators not in receipt of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) and encouraging and facilitating changes to enable hybrid connections. 

We have posed nine questions to respondents, including views on the policy options presented, the treatment of selected generators, existing generators repowering, demand utilisation, locational preferences for demand and prioritising and driving network development. 

The consultation will close on 8 January 2027. 

We encourage responses by email to ben.harris@uregni.gov.uk  and copied to electricity_networks_responses@uregni.gov.uk 

Further information:

• Please be aware that your response to this consultation may be made public by the Utility Regulator.
• Where consultation responses are published, the Utility Regulator will take appropriate steps to remove personal data that is not necessary for publication. Personal data will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, the Utility Regulator’s privacy notice and its retention and disposal arrangements.
• You may ask us to keep all or part of your response confidential. Please state this clearly in your response and explain why. If you wish the Utility Regulator to keep only part of your response confidential, please mark the parts that you would like to be kept confidential and again, explain why. Please note that we may contact you to discuss your wishes.
• The Utility Regulator will take your position regarding the confidentiality of your response, either in whole or in part, into consideration, but cannot guarantee that information identified as confidential will not be published or disclosed. We will consider any confidentiality request on its merits and in accordance with our legal obligations including those arising under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the Data Protection Act 2018, or where otherwise required by law. 
• Copies of all documents can be made available in large print, Braille, audio cassette and a variety of relevant minority languages if required. 

Ways to respond