Dear Editor,
The strain imposed by data centres on our energy infrastructure is alarming – they consume over double the electricity than that consumed by all residences in the rural parts of Ireland. To add to that, Meta’s Clonee data centre in 2023 had used more water than any other of its data centres across the globe. Interestingly, much of the power supply for these data centres is derived from polluting fossil fuels.
It’s noteworthy that data centres in Ireland use about 21% of local electricity, a stark contrast to the European Union average of nearly 2%. The only country coming close is the Netherlands, utilising about 5%.
Critic and economist, David McWilliams has emphasised our need to enhance our electrical power in anticipation of future demand. Still, the surge in data centre construction and approval is ongoing while increasing renewable power sources is a slow process. As per the analysis by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the spike in renewables in the past few years has been entirely consumed by the significant expansion in data centre electricity usage. This leads one to question – who does our transition to renewable energy really benefit? Is it to significantly reduce pollution and ensure a healthier and safe future? Or is it merely to facilitate the expansion of tech giants in favour of increased consumption, profit and advertising?
That’s why the decision by South Dublin County Council to reject the proposal for a new Google Data Centre in Grange Castle is commendable and should be emulated by other councils and An Bord Pleanála. The data centre in question would have consumed as much power as two hundred and fifty thousand homes.
Friends of the Earth is urging the Government to curb the uncontrolled expansion of data centres that are overstretching our energy services. We advocate for a pause until a stringent set of laws are established to limit the emissions of these data centres in adherence to our climate objectives. This ensures that our energy systems can prioritise public necessity and a just shift to renewable forms of energy.
Yours sincerely,
Rosi Leonard,
Friends of the Earth,
Dublin 2.