Major technology companies, such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft, are appealing to the Irish government, asking for permission to establish direct connections from their data centres to renewable energy farms, reports the Sunday Business Post. Working in the region, these tech giants have over 10,000 employees and are requesting “private wire” connectivity to solar and wind farms to alleviate the strain on the national grid under existing development constraints in Dublin.
As part of a policy on private wires due for publication in late 2024, the government is thinking about lifting limitations that currently permit only the ESB to create a power line linking a home or business to the grid. Certain private companies insist that, if approved, they could install new power lines more efficiently and affordably than the ESB, given the severe strain on Ireland’s energy grid.
Meanwhile, Eoghan McCabe, Irish tech firm Intercom’s CEO, was part of a Silicon Valley fundraiser where former President Donald Trump raised $12 million (€11 million) as reported by the Sunday Business Post. The Dublin-born founder of Intercom, which was created in 2011, joined Trump at the event hosted by investor David Sacks and posted a picture with him on X, formerly Twitter.
Furthermore, there are rumblings of a possible general election before the end of the year, following a series of local and European election disappointments for Sinn Féin leaving the coalition parties’ support unchanged, according to the Sunday Times. Talk among ministers suggests that Taoiseach Simon Harris could, and potentially should, call for an election in November following the October budget.
Confidential sources close to the Irish Premier have hinted at a potential November election, despite previous suggestions that March 2025 would be the preferred date. They add that the timing of this decision is likely to be influenced by the outcome of the budget or the developments in March.
In other news, the UK’s crypto infrastructure company, Ramp Network, has elected Ireland as the location for its European base, setting up its team and operations in Dublin. This move comes as Ireland emerges as a significant spot for cryptocurrency businesses in anticipation of a new regulatory framework governing the sector. Steven Eisenhauer, Ramp’s chief risk and compliance officer, praised Ireland’s progress in the crypto arena, highlighting its burgeoning population of about 12 registered virtual asset service providers.
Meanwhile, a bitter pay dispute with the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) threatens Aer Lingus’s plans to expand its transatlantic operations. The conflict puts Aer Lingus in danger of missing out on an additional four Airbus A321 XLR aircraft, valued at $142 million each. This situation is exacerbating the already troubling scenario, as the airline has already lost out on two next-gen planes. The Sunday Business Post reports that the debacle threatens to cost Aer Lingus half a billion euros’ worth of new aircraft.