Data Centre Expansion Threatens Ireland’s Climate Goals
Ireland’s Data Center Boom Threatens Climate Goals, Says Environmental Group
Dublin, Ireland – A new report from Friends of the Earth ireland is sounding the alarm on the rapid expansion of data centers in the country, warning that it’s jeopardizing Ireland’s climate commitments and diverting renewable energy resources.
The report, authored by University College Cork Professor Hannah Daly, reveals a stark reality: between 2017 and 2023, the increase in electricity consumption by data centers matched the growth in renewable energy from wind and solar farms. This means that while Ireland is making strides in renewable energy production, the surge in data center demand is effectively negating those gains.
“The current trajectory of data center demand is incompatible with Ireland’s climate commitments,” Professor Daly stated. “Data centers are growing far faster than the renewable energy procured to meet their needs. Moreover, data centers are connecting to the natural gas network to get around constraints in the power network. This is prolonging Ireland’s dependency on fossil fuels and will make legally binding carbon budgets unachievable.”
The report highlights the disproportionate impact of data center growth on Ireland’s energy landscape. While overall electricity demand in the rest of the economy has seen minimal growth, data centers now account for 21% of Ireland’s total electricity consumption, a figure projected to rise significantly by 2030.
Friends of the Earth Ireland is calling for an immediate moratorium on new data center developments until a thorough policy framework is in place to ensure alignment with Ireland’s climate goals.
“Ireland has allowed itself to become a data dumping ground for corporations like Amazon and Meta,” said Rosi Leonard, Data Centre Campaigner with Friends of the Earth Ireland.”This is creating stark inequalities in our energy system whereby data centers are hoovering up the limited clean energy that is currently deployed. In the same regions of Ireland in which Meta bought the entire electricity output of solar farms for their data centers, over 60% of homes are reliant on oil and solid fuels such as peat or coal.”
The environmental group is urging political parties to prioritize this issue in upcoming Program for Government negotiations, demanding a pause on connecting new data centers until the threats they pose to climate and energy security are addressed.
“We need a moratorium on data centers in Ireland now before this problem gets any worse,” Leonard emphasized.
Ireland’s Data center Boom: A Threat to Climate Goals
NewsDirectory3 Exclusive Interview with Professor Hannah Daly
NewsDirectory3: Professor Daly, your recent report for Friends of the Earth Ireland has ignited important debate about Ireland’s data center expansion. can you elaborate on the key concerns raised in the report?
Professor Daly: The primary concern is the rate at which data centers are consuming electricity in Ireland. Between 2017 and 2023, the increase in their energy demand mirrored the growth in renewable energy from wind and solar. This means that while Ireland is making progress in renewable energy,data centers are effectively offsetting those gains.
NewsDirectory3: What are the implications for Ireland’s climate targets?
professor Daly: The current trajectory of data center development is incompatible with ireland’s climate commitments. These facilities are expanding much faster then the renewable energy capacity we’re adding.
Furthermore, data centers are circumventing limitations in the power network by connecting to the natural gas grid, prolonging Ireland’s reliance on fossil fuels and making it extremely difficult to achieve our legally binding carbon budgets.
NewsDirectory3: So,essentially,the growth of data centers is hindering Ireland’s transition to a enduring future?
Professor daly: Precisely.They are disproportionately impacting our energy landscape. While overall electricity demand in other sectors has remained relatively stable, data centers now account for 21% of Ireland’s total electricity consumption, and this figure is expected to skyrocket by 2030.
NewsDirectory3: what solutions does Friends of the Earth Ireland propose?
Professor Daly: We are calling for an immediate moratorium on new data center developments until a complete policy framework is put in place. This framework must ensure alignment with Ireland’s climate goals and prioritize the needs of the Irish people over the demands of multinational corporations.
NewsDirectory3: What message do you have for policymakers and the Irish people?
Professor Daly: Ireland needs to wake up to the reality of this situation. We are allowing ourselves to become a data dumping ground, with corporations like Amazon and Meta consuming vast amounts of clean energy while many Irish homes still rely on polluting fossil fuels. We need a moratorium on new data centers now before the problem exacerbates.