Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2026
36. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the actions being taken by his Department to reduce the demand data centres are making on our national grid; the safeguards that will be in place for data centres built in the future re same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5016/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of data centres and achieving the twin objective of decarbonisation and digitalisation. The Programme for Government contains key commitments such as enhancing data centres’ use of renewable energy sources, energy efficient technology and effective solutions, such as waste heat capture for district heating to reduce their carbon footprint. These commitments have been operationalised through the prioritisation of a range of policy and energy infrastructure planning workstreams.
While in the near-term already contracted data centres will be accommodated on the grid, for the medium-term the Government continues to work with the electricity system operators, EirGrid and ESB Networks, to assess the various expected future demands on the system including from economic and population growth, housing, electric vehicle and heat pump targets and data centre growth, as part of their network development plans.
The Government has also prioritised an increased and unprecedented investment in our grid and expanding our energy generation, with a particular priority on renewable energy sources which will be advantageous for all customers.
The updated CRU Large Energy Users Connection Policy will provide increased transparency in respect of new data centre connections to the electricity network and establishes a pathway for connection, addressing security of electricity supply and network constraint considerations, while promoting Ireland’s renewable energy ambitions.
Government has also recently published a comprehensive Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP) with robust measures that will, inter alia, accelerate energy generation, connectivity, and planning processes which will guide the development of data centres and other strategically significant energy intensive industries, in alignment with Ireland’s decarbonisation objectives and growing the knowledge-based economy. In particular, this will allow for greater co-location of energy-intensive sectors with the supply of renewable energy generation within green energy parks.
