EirGrid is urging communities and stakeholders in Kildare and South-West Dublin to share their views before the public consultation on a key grid upgrade closes on Friday 10 July.

The Kildare Dublin Grid Reinforcement will upgrade energy infrastructure in this rapidly growing region.

With the existing electricity system in the area nearing its capacity limit, the new infrastructure is intended to maintain a reliable supply of power to schools, farms, businesses and homes.

Running over nine weeks, the consultation seeks feedback on technology options for a circuit to link a proposed substation in Steelstown with the existing substation at Carrickmines. The options under review are an Overhead Line, an Underground Cable, or an Overhead Line with Partial Undergrounding.

The circuit would allow power to be taken from the transmission system and distributed to homes, schools and businesses across Kildare and West Dublin. After identifying the best-performing technology, EirGrid plans to bring forward potential circuit routes for another round of public consultation.

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Submissions can be made online or by post.

Head of Public Engagement with EirGrid, Sinead Dooley, said: "We at EirGrid recognise the importance of collaborating with communities at every stage of delivering our infrastructure projects.

"I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this consultation so far by making a submission, or attending one of our recent public information events to learn more about the benefits this project will have for the region.

"Your feedback, along with stakeholder engagement and technical studies, will help determine the approach to project plans moving forward, so I would encourage all stakeholders in the region to get in touch and have their say.

"We also look forward to recognising the role of local communities in delivering this critical project when we share the details of the associated Community Benefit Fund later in the process."

In May 2025, EirGrid consulted on preferred zones for two new substations — one near Hynestown and one near Steelstown — with local communities and stakeholders.

That feedback is being considered as the appropriate sites are selected.

EirGrid has also recently determined that the best-performing technology for the circuit connecting the two substations to each other, and to the existing substation in Maynooth, is an underground cable.