How will the Isle of Man generate electricity?

Plans to generate about 75% of the Isle of Man's electricity through solar and on-shore wind projects have been backed by the Council of Ministers. Manx Utilities (MU) will look to install solar panels on public car parks and government buildings. Wind turbines could also be built on public land to create 30MW of electricity by 2026.

Will the Isle of Man have a solar energy farm?

Plans have been submitted for the Isle of Man's first solar energy farm. The proposed 84-acre development in the south of the island would generate enough electricity to power nearly 8,000 homes per year, developers said.

How will the electricity sector change in the Isle of Man?

As the uptake for electric heating and electric vehicles increases, the electricity sector will have to grow to meet future demand. The majority of the Isle of Man’s electricity is currently sourced from fossil fuels.

How much electricity does the Isle of Man need?

While average electricity demand on the Isle of Man stands at 40MW, it can peak at 75MW during the winter and drop at night during summer to 25MW. MU chairman Tim Johnston said "detailed work" to determine the best approach to increase renewable energy was underway.

Could the Isle of Man re-import electricity from an offshore wind farm?

With interconnectors the Isle of Man could re-import electricity generated from an offshore wind farm, allowing GB to manage the balancing. This would likely result in much lower costs to consumers. CFDs are not currently open to the Isle of Man as it is not part of the UK.

Does the Isle of Man import energy from the UK?

The Isle of Man currently imports all of its energy from the UK (with the exception of what is produced from Sulby). In all future models, the Isle of Man remains dependent on GB for the provision of baseload. This is the case even where capacity is increased by building excess renewables, as the stabilisation is still provided by interconnectors.