As Northern Ireland's Transmission Operator, SONI is committed to transforming the power system for future generations. In our role as a trusted adviser to policymakers, we have published a series of thought leadership assessments looking at Northern Ireland's future energy needs.
In October 2019, we launched our new five-year strategy (2020-25) which recognises SONI’s pivotal role in ensuring Northern Ireland has a clean energy system- able to facilitate challenging renewable targets whilst balancing decarbonisation with security of supply and costs to consumers.
We published Tomorrow's Energy Scenarios in 2020 which considers a range of possible ways that energy usage may change into the future.
In 2021 and 2023, we published two iterations of Shaping Our Electricity Future, our roadmap to prepare Northern Ireland's power system to meet the 80% renewable energy target by 2030.
We published a revised Tomorrow's Energy Scenarios in 2024 that looks at how much electricity we might need and how it can be provided, beyond 2030, up to 2050.
You can find out more below.
Inside Tomorrow’s Energy Scenarios 2023, you’ll find a high-level exploration that looks at how much electricity we might need and how it can be provided, beyond 2030, up to 2050.
These findings will guide SONI’s strategic planning of the electricity system, in determining what we need to prioritise to enable a sustainable and secure energy transition for Northern Ireland.
They will also enable SONI to continue to support Governments and Regulatory Authorities in the development of energy policy and market design development required to decarbonise the power system.
Next steps
Going forward, Tomorrow’s Energy Scenarios 2023 provides a solid foundation to inform our planning for the energy transition in Northern Ireland.
We hope you find this report useful, and that our valuable insights can support decision-makers in the development of current and future energy policy.
You can download the various Tomorrow's Energy Scenarios 2023 reports below.
TESNI 2020 considers a range of possible ways that energy usage may change into the future.
For TESNI 2020 we have consulted on three credible pathways for the transformation of the power system. Two of these scenarios see Northern Ireland delivering its contribution to the UK’s 2050 net-zero emissions target.
Using our scenarios we’ve identified future needs of the grid, as part the TESNI 2020 System Needs Assessment. These needs arise from changes in the usage of the grid, which is influenced by the scale and location of electricity consumption, generation, interconnection and storage.
You can view the TESNI 2020 System Needs Assessment report here.