Our existing data centres will account for 33pc of all electricity consumption by 2030
The government’s support of data centres has created a monster that is now out of control, according to Social Democrats Climate Spokesperson Jennifer Whitmore.
Deputy Whitmore addressed the issue today at the Oireachtas Climate Committee, which is currently debating amendments to the Climate Action Bill.
“Eirgrid currently has so many new applications for data centres that, if they were all to be supplied, it would equate to 70pc of our power usage – for the entire country. As it stands, if nothing were to change, our existing data centres will account for 33pc of all electricity consumption by 2030. This is clearly unsustainable.
“Not only does the exponential growth of electronic data storage provide problems for energy security, it is a huge climate issue. An Taisce, the environmental body, has branded them a major global climate and energy consumption issue.
“Currently Ireland is Europe’s data centre capital. It has been estimated that one third of global data is housed in Irish data centres. The surge in this sector, we have seen in recent years, must be curbed if we are to have any hope of meeting our carbon targets.
“The government’s support of data centres – which provide very few jobs – has created a monster that is now out of control. We are all focused on trying to find ways to reduce our emissions, yet energy-guzzling data centres are not part of any government plan to do that.
“The Government must heed the warnings of the energy regulator and An Taisce and address this sustainability challenge. The longer it waits, the worse the problem is going to get – and the harder it will be to resolve.”
9 June, 2021
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