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Phase 1 Offshore Wind: Consultation on Guarantee of Availability Policy

The CRU has published a consultation on its Minded to Decision for the Phase 1 offshore wind Guarantee of Availability (GoA) policy.

Offshore Wind

This consultation invites feedback on the proposed final design of the GoA policy, building on responses received to the earlier consultation held in December 2025 – January 2026.

Under the Government’s 2021 Policy Statement, developers of Phase 1 offshore wind projects are responsible for building the offshore transmission assets that connect their projects to the onshore electricity network.

Once constructed, these assets will be transferred to EirGrid, who will then take responsibility for operating, maintaining and repairing them.

The GoA policy is designed to address situations where there is an unplanned outage on the offshore transmission system. In these cases, the policy sets out how affected projects will be compensated for any loss of availability.

Why this matters

The GoA policy is an important step in progressing Phase 1 offshore wind projects.

It aims to:

  • Provide certainty for developers and investors, supporting project delivery
  • Ensure a clear and fair framework for managing outages
  • Protect electricity consumers from undue or unpredictable costs

The policy also supports the integration of offshore wind by providing clarity on how outage-related costs and responsibilities will be managed within the wider regulatory framework.

What we are consulting on

The CRU is minded to adopt the GoA policy broadly as set out in the previous consultation.

However, following stakeholder feedback and further assessment, some changes are proposed. These relate to:

  • Opportunistic maintenance
  • Compensation during ramping periods
  • The design of compensation payment arrangements

This consultation focuses on these updates to the original proposal.

For clarity, the CRU is not consulting on previous decisions set out in CRU202309 and CRU202313.

Who should respond

We welcome responses from anyone with an interest in Phase 1 offshore wind in Ireland, including:

  • Developers
  • System operators
  • Potential financiers
  • Other stakeholders and members of the public

Make a Submission

We encourage stakeholders to share their views by making a submission through our consultation portal here.

Following the consultation period, the CRU will review all submissions and aims to publish a final decision on the GoA policy by Q4 2026.