To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any actions her Department is taking to transition Northern Ireland away from the dependence on fossil fuels through (i) her work with businesses; (ii) improvements and expansion of the electricity grid; and (iii) attracting investment to deliver programmes, such as a retrofit roll-out across all tenures.

My Department leads on the Energy Strategy - The Path to Net Zero Energy, which continues to progress the transition away from fossil fuels towards self-sufficiency in affordable renewable energy and net zero emissions by 2050.

(i) Supporting Businesses:

The Business and Industrial Processes sector plan, included in the draft Climate Action Plan (CAP) published in June 2025, sets out the policies and proposals to support businesses’ transition away from fossil fuels. These include fuel switching, electrification, and resource and energy efficiency measures. One key policy is Invest NI’s Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme, funded by my Department, which provides financial support to businesses to implement resource efficiency, energy efficiency, and decarbonisation measures within their operations.

(ii) Grid Improvements and Expansion:

On 26 November 2025, I published a decision paper on fairer grid connection costs. This decision will remove unfairness and enable homes and businesses to connect to the grid at a fair price, encouraging new investment in low carbon technologies and renewables. The Utility Regulator will work to modify NIE Networks’ licence, with a new statement of connection charges to be published in the new year and changes taking effect in the first half of 2026.

The North South Interconnector remains a strategic priority for my Department, essential for lowering costs for electricity consumers, strengthening grid reliability, and enabling greater integration of renewables. Construction began in late 2024, with estimated completion in 2031.

Smart meters will provide electricity consumers with the opportunity to lower their bills and support renewable integration. Following public consultation, my officials have analysed stakeholder feedback and are working with the Utility Regulator and NIE Networks on a project plan for delivery. Procurement is planned for 2026, with first installations in 2027.

A Grid Development Monitoring Group has been established by my Department, including the Utility Regulator, SONI, and NIE Networks, to monitor delivery of network developments, identify barriers, and accelerate progress on grid upgrades.

(iii) Attracting Investment and Retrofit Programmes:

My Department is developing a Net Zero Accelerator Fund (NZAF) to support local enterprises in accelerating projects that contribute to emissions reduction targets and to act as a catalyst for attracting and complementing private investment in the green economy.

Earlier this year, my Department consulted on future support for low carbon heating in residential properties. Officials are finalising analysis of responses to inform policy decisions, including heat pump installations and future scheme design for energy efficiency measures and low carbon heat. This year, I have allocated just over £2m of additional funding into NISEP to support low-income households to install energy efficiency measures this winter, building on previous years’ work which will have delivered measures into over 2,500 homes by March 2026.