Unintended consequences of Northern Ireland's renewable obligation policy

Northern Ireland's Renewable Obligation Policy radically increased the amount of small and micro-scale renewable energy generation in the country, putting strain on the small and somewhat isolated grid. We review the impacts of the policy on the generation mix, and the resulting impacts on the power grid. We discuss a range of mitigation methods, and conclude with a recommendation that countries consider flexible policies to provide incentives for stability along with renewable energy.