138. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline the framework his Department uses to balance between competing energy needs of different sectors of the economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30074/25]
Sentiment score: 0.17
It is important to outline that Ireland is at the most extreme end of vulnerability because of the growth of data centre demand. We host approximately 120 data centres. Today, they consume 21% of all energy we produce. Forty centres are in planning and development right now. No other country reports a higher share of domestic energy consumption by data centres than Ireland. We understand the importance of the digitalisation of our economy but this can only be done in a way that serves the environment and people best. This is what was correctly alluded to by the Minister's own Secretary General recently. AI-supporting data centres consume much more energy than the typical data centre. How will the Government strike this balance? Will it prioritise housing over data centres when it comes to connections or will it step up LNG-fuelled electricity production to make up the difference and, as such, annihilate our climate targets?
Sentiment score: 0.18
The Minister's own Secretary General presented it that way.
Sentiment score: 0.00
The Taoiseach and the Minister for public expenditure, Deputy Chambers, rejected the warnings raised by the Minister, Deputy O'Brien's Secretary General that Ireland would be forced to choose between housing and AI data centres. I believe they and the Minister are far too quick to dismiss concerns by the most senior civil servant in the latter's Department. There has been positive growth in energy generated by renewables in recent years but we are also seeing this being eaten up by the increased demand of data centres. We need to be honest, in that there are some choices ahead of us. The Government needs to set out how those choices will be balanced. Currently, 21% of all energy produced in this country is consumed by data centres. Our digital economy is well supported and any additional growth cannot be at the expense of the nine housing connections, nor can it be done by increased fossil fuel dependency. The Minister mentioned the plan earlier. When will that plan be ready and can he commit that it will entail no increased use of electricity generated from gas?
Sentiment score: 0.22
111. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if his Department's policy correctly reflects the balance between energy demand for housing versus energy demand for data centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30075/25]
Sentiment score: 0.18
Many jurisdictions over the past decade have been dealing with the dramatic rise in energy consumption driven by the growth in data centres. We are no different here. Our challenge is probably even greater. I believe, and it is witnessed by what has been said by the Minister, the Taoiseach and others, that there is a clear preference for increased data centres and their use. Will the Minister outline how that will be balanced with other elements of the economy?
Sentiment score: 0.25
The Minister used the words "disingenuous" and "red herring". I am referring to a warning raised by the Secretary General of the Minister's own Department. It is a warning and an issue. She spoke about a balance between AI, particularly the highly intensive data centres required for new AI developments, and housing. If there is a red herring, it was not I who raised it originally. I made the point in an earlier question about 21% use of energy by data centres here in Ireland right now. The next nearest country is Singapore at 7.5%. That is the difference. It will grow to 28% if all of those 40 data centres about which I spoke earlier are granted planning permission. The Minister already set out how some of the big offshore wind projects have been delayed because of An Bord Pleanála's decisions. How will we bridge that gap and, at the same time, decarbonise the huge parts of our economy that still rely on fossil fuels and need to be decarbonised?
Sentiment score: -0.01
I thank the Minister for his honesty about the risk of some of those projects not delivering within the 2030 timeline. Would it be the Minister's belief then that if those renewable projects are not going to deliver in that timeline, we must look at the timeline within which new data centres are brought on? There are 40 in various stages. Some have been granted full planning permission. If they are all brought on to the system between now and 2030, that will be a further 7% growth in the overall total of our energy system being used by data centres. If our renewables are not coming online at the speed we and the Minister would like, do we also have to take a similar approach to delaying the connection of further data centres to our system? Will the plan about which the Minister spoke be cognisant of that?
Sentiment score: 0.25