Tech & Science
The AI-energy collision
Ireland Reopens Its Grid to Data Centres - But Now They Must Bring Their Own Power
Ireland has effectively ended the 2021 moratorium on new data-centre grid connections, but under tough rules: new sites must match 100% of their grid draw with dispatchable generation and cover 80% of annual demand from new Irish renewables within six years. Data centres already use 22% of Irish electricity (up from 5% in 2015), heading toward 30% by the early 2030s. A study for Friends of the Earth claims the sector added 360 euros to the average home bill in 2015-2023.