Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
139. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the energy consumption of large energy users per annum for the past three years in megawatt hours, in tabular form. [36992/23]
View answerSystem operators regularly review and publish forecasted demand, including aggregated sector specific demand.
Further details on the energy consumption, both historical and forecasted, of data centres and new tech loads, can be found in figure 2.5 in EirGrid's Generation Capacity Statement here.
Data Centres are typically classified as extra-large energy users. Their current and future demand, like that of all sectors of the economy, is considered in power system planning and projections as routine.
The Government approach to aligning enterprise and energy objectives for this cohort of businesses was outlined in the Government Statement on Data Centres in July 2022.
Under EU law, Member States have an obligation to preserve the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information. As such, specific detailed information on energy usage for a particular sector cannot be disclosed.
