Dear Sir,
Peter Burke, the Minister for Enterprise, has recently made comments suggesting that those against data centres aren’t facing reality (“News”, September 25th). However, he seems to overlook that in actuality we are in the midst of a climate crisis. The effect on Ireland’s already strained power grid due to additional data centres could be detrimental.
Believing in indefinite expansion of data centres without significant environmental impact is nothing more than denial. It is essential for economic expansion to be balanced with sustainable practices. Disregarding the limitations of our power infrastructure and climate commitments is far from practicality.
Meaningful strides require us to accept our limitations instead of shunning them.
Yours faithfully,
Dr CIARÁN O’CARROLL,
North Strand,
Dublin 3.
Dear Sir,
While Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, implies that data centre development should be unrestrained due to business needs, it’s important to remember that other nations, including the USA, are discovering that electricity supplies can’t keep up with demand. The unchecked growth is unsustainable; inevitably, demand will outstrip available power, regardless of how much energy we generate. Therefore, it is prudent to conduct an in-depth evaluation of the future of data storage, considering the possibilities of supply limitations and other strains on electricity resources.
The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) requires increasing amounts of ‘training material’, a demand remaining consistent as long as AI companies can afford the costs. An additional concern is that an AI search consumes approximately 30 times more energy than a standard search.
Yours faithfully,
PATRICK DAVEY,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.