EirGrid has launched a public consultation on the next phase of a major electricity grid reinforcement project aimed at strengthening power supply across Kildare and southwest Dublin while supporting Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions.

The Kildare-Dublin Grid Upgrade Project will modernise electricity infrastructure in one of the country’s fastest-growing regions, where the existing network is approaching its capacity limits due to rising demand from homes, schools, farms and businesses.

The eight-week consultation, open until July 3, seeks feedback from local communities and stakeholders on the technology options proposed for a new circuit connecting a planned substation in Steelstown with the existing substation in Carrickmines.

According to EirGrid, the new infrastructure will improve the reliability and security of electricity supply in the region and play a key role in enabling Ireland to meet its national renewable energy targets.

The project includes the construction of a new 400/220/110 kV substation near the boundary between south Dublin and east Kildare in Steelstown, as well as a new 220/110 kV substation near Hynestown. The development will also include associated circuits linking the new stations with existing substations in Maynooth, Inchicore and Carrickmines.

EirGrid recently concluded that underground cabling is the best-performing technological solution for the circuit connecting the two proposed substations and the existing Maynooth substation.

Public participation at the centre of the process

As part of the consultation process, residents, businesses and local stakeholders will be able to submit observations online or by post. EirGrid will also host a series of in-person information events to allow communities to discuss the project directly with company representatives.

The feedback collected during the consultation, together with stakeholder engagement and technical studies, will help shape the final approach to the project.

Siobhán O'Shea, Director of Infrastructure at EirGrid, said the project would be critical not only for strengthening the electricity network in Kildare and west Dublin, but also for supporting Ireland’s clean energy transition.

“This project will not only be key to improving the electricity grid in Kildare and west Dublin, providing capacity to meet growing electricity demand and supporting local economic growth and housing development, but it will also help the country achieve its renewable energy targets,” she said.

Meanwhile, Sinéad Dooley, Head of Public Engagement at EirGrid, stressed the importance of community participation in the planning process.

“At EirGrid, we recognise that collaboration with communities and gathering local knowledge are essential for developing this infrastructure, which will strengthen the electricity grid for generations to come,” Dooley said.

She also noted that details of a Community Benefit Fund linked to the project would be shared later in the process, acknowledging the role local communities play in hosting strategic grid infrastructure developments.

The latest consultation follows a previous engagement process carried out in May 2025, during which EirGrid gathered feedback on preferred locations for the two planned substations near Hynestown and Steelstown. The company said those views are currently being considered as part of the site selection process.