Government’s data centre free-for-all driving up bills and emissions
Government’s data centre free-for-all driving up bills and emissions - The Labour Party
Labour climate spokesperson Ciarán Ahern TD said the United Nations report that cites Ireland as a “cautionary” tale on the environmental impact of runaway artificial intelligence growth should ring alarm bells.
Deputy Ahern said Government must end its open-door approach and ensure that data centres do not impose additional costs on households, undermine climate targets or outstrip the capacity of the national grid.
Deputy Ahern said:
“At a time when families are struggling with the cost of living, it is extraordinary that Government continues to ignore the consequences of its approach to data centre expansion. This latest UN report should be a wake-up call. Ireland has been singled out internationally as a cautionary example of what happens when Governments fail to plan properly for the environmental impacts of rapid AI and data centre growth.
“The figures are stark. Data processing now accounts for 21% of all electricity used in Ireland. That is more than five times the share seen in the United States and more than twenty times the level in China. Within the next few years, data centres are expected to consume more than 30% of all electricity generated in this country.
“This week, Government published a report on data centres that may as well have been written by the tech companies themselves. Instead of confronting the enormous pressures being placed on our electricity system, climate targets and household bills, Ministers appear more interested in providing political cover for continued expansion. The report reads less like an objective assessment of the challenges facing Ireland and more like a wish list from industry.
“People across the country are already struggling to keep the lights on and heat their homes. The additional costs arising from the Government’s reckless approach to data centre expansion are making an already severe cost of living crisis even worse.
“The warning lights are flashing. Government must act now to introduce meaningful controls on data centre expansion, protect households from additional energy costs, ensure major energy users contribute their fair share to infrastructure investment and keep Ireland on track to meet its climate commitments. Continuing with business as usual is no longer an option.”