Energy

The electricity infrastructure in the Western Region is constantly being upgraded. There are a number of major projects under construction or at the planning stage which will further strengthen the electricity transmission system in the region.

Eirgrid provides a detailed map of the electricity transmission system in the region.

Natural gas connections are currently available in towns in counties Clare, Galway and Mayo including Castlebar, Westport, Ballinasloe, Claregalway. Galway city, Craughwell, Headford, Bunratty, Clarecastle, Cratloe, Ennis, Killaloe, Meelick, Shannon and Sixmilebridge.. See the Bord Gáis map for details of natural gas availability in the West.

The Western Region has abundant natural resources with significant potential for the development of the renewable energy sector, particularly wind, wave and wood resources. Wood fuel as an energy source has considerable potential in the region, as forestry thinnings and residues are a potential significant source of wood fuel, and the region has 40% of Ireland’s afforested land.

The Western Development Commission (WDC) has been working to identify how we can best capture the value of these resources to address regional and national energy needs with a particular focus on wood energy.  A report on the potential of wood energy is available for download at www.wdc.ie

The region continues to be a major producer of wind energy with the highest wind resource available on the western seaboard.