Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 May 2024
116. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if he will consider freezing data centre projects until we have sufficient renewables to supply the energy required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21379/24]
View answerOur digital infrastructure is key to Ireland’s position as a strategic international location for IT services. We therefore need to ensure alignment between future development and energy security while working to achieve our decarbonisation ambitions. It is expected that Ireland will in the future have sufficient decarbonised energy to facilitate the economic growth ambitions of both indigenous and MNC businesses, but there are current and real constraints while we are managing the transition pathway.
The July 2022 Government Statement on the Role of Data Centres in Ireland’s Enterprise Strategy outlines principles for sustainable data centre development, providing clear guidance to decision makers in the planning process and encouraging the data centre sector to implement decarbonised energy solutions and to increase efficiency. This Statement expresses the Government’s preference for data centres that can demonstrate additionality of their renewable energy use in Ireland, and which are ultimately decarbonised by design, providing net zero data services.
As we move to higher levels of renewable energy sources it will be necessary for electricity demand to become much more flexible to match when renewable electricity is plentiful, and prices are at their lowest. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) are developing a National Energy Demand Side Strategy (NEDS), with the aim of 20% to 30% of electricity to be flexible by 2030. Large Energy Users (LEUs), such as data centres, will be expected to make up a higher proportional contribution to the NEDS target, as they are making up a high proportion of the increase in electricity demand. As part of the NEDS, the CRU is also undertaking a review of the connection policy for LEUs, which aims to provide a new pathway for LEUs to connect to the energy system, that minimises the impact on national carbon emissions while also taking account of the capacity of our energy and grid infrastructure.
