Forest industries engage with ESB Networks to facilitate grid resilience and support forest owners

Forest Industries Ireland (FII) has been engaging with ESB Networks to discuss the implications for forest owners from the ESB Winter Grid Resilience Plan. The Plan aims to enhance grid resilience in the context of winter storms which can disrupt electricity supply, such as happened with Storm Eowyn in January 2025.

The Grid Resilience Plan has significant implications for the national forest estate and individual forest owners, particularly the widening of corridors for ESB medium voltage lines through forests. It is important that the correct solution to protecting the grid is achieved, one that both protects the grid and the forest estate. 

An Ibec trade association, FII is the national representative body for the forestry and timber sectors representing companies across the entire forestry and timber products supply chain.

Mark McAuley, Director of Forest Industries Ireland said, “The forest sector has important economic, social, and environmental benefits for the country and the full value of Ireland’s forests and the forest sector should be taken into account whilst at the same time protecting the national electricity grid.”

“It is essential that forest owners be supported and deforestation is minimized. Negative impacts on confidence in forestry must be avoided.

FII’s main positions on the issue

FII has a number of specific positions in relation to the current roll out of the ESB Grid Resilience Plan and the development of associated enabling legislation by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment:

• A full analysis of the necessary width of forest corridors must be completed, and their width and design should be agreed in consultation with the forest sector.

   

• All options should be explored in each case to see if alternatives to widening corridors exist, for example by diverting existing power lines or moving them underground. Other ‘network hardening’ solutions such as increasing the height or changing the design of poles should be fully explored and implemented where appropriate.

   

• Where corridors must exist or be extended, maintenance and vegetation management cannot be made the responsibility of the forest owner. ESB Networks must retain responsibility for maintenance of the corridors.

   

• Where corridors must exist or be extended, compensation payments to forest owners must be sufficient, take into account long-term value and risks, and include an annualised component.

• All legislation and implementing actions must be developed in full consultation with the forest sector. Due weight must be given to the value of forests and the forest sector – economic, social and environmental – in developing the plan. Forest cover in Ireland is already very low when compared to the European average, with new forest planting (afforestation) levels remaining at stubbornly low levels, so it is essential that Ireland protects what forestry it does have.  Forest owners must be supported in the short term while protecting the long-term commercial value of forests, in particular following the financial damage suffered from Storm Eowyn in January 2025.