Labour motion to tackle data centres to be debated Wednesday
Labour motion to tackle data centres to be debated Wednesday - The Labour Party
- Motion calls for introduction of a levy on data centres to drive down household bills
- Time for reintroduction of targeted energy credits to support households
The Dáil will debate a Labour Party motion on Wednesday at 10am calling for a moratorium on building new data centres.
Speaking in advance of the motion, Labour’s climate spokesperson Ciaran Ahern has called for cross-party support and made a direct plea to Minister Darragh O’Brien to introduce a levy on data centres to recover the higher electricity costs now being imposed on Irish households and businesses.
Deputy Ahern said:
“Just last week the CRU published figures that showed 500,000 accounts are in arrears on energy and gas bills. The increased and inflexible energy demands of data centres are pushing Ireland’s energy costs higher and higher and it is ordinary households who are paying the price for this.
“Labour’s motion calls for a moratorium on the construction of data centres, including the suspension of the CRU LEU connection policy and the commissioning of an independent study of the impact of data centres on electricity prices, carbon emissions, water usage and grid stability. We cannot continue to blindly build data centres until we fully understand the impact these centres are having on our energy infrastructure.
“Rather than ducking and diving, we need Minister O’Brien to step up to the plate for households. Labour’s motion calls for the introduction of targeted energy credits for the households who are most in need, as well as more targeted SEAI supports for households before Budget 2027.
“People need security and certainty during the months ahead – they simply cannot wait until October. Households need to be able to plan their finances and with energy bills soaring, we need to see intervention from Government to protect households.
“To add insult to injury, Ireland is currently on track to miss our binding 2030 emissions targets which will result in massive fines. Labour’s motion calls on Government to be honest with the public through providing information on how much Ireland will miss these targets by, the exact fine Government is expecting to receive, and how these fines will be paid for.
“Lastly, in May the Government forced through the Dáil the Critical Infrastructure Bill which will actively undermine Ireland’s climate obligations. Labour’s motion calls for the deletion of section 7 of the Critical Infrastructure Bill and publication of the legal advice confirming the constitutionality of the provision to disapply Section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act. The Bill is due to pass the Seanad this week.
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil’s failure to take climate seriously is driving up people’s energy costs and is likely to see Ireland incur massive climate fines. Why are Government failing to intervene? Labour’s motion on Wednesday will provide an opportunity to take real action – to pause data centre constriction and to protect households who most need it against increasing bills.”
ENDS
Motion re: Data Centres, energy use and climate change
That Dáil Éireann –
notes that:
- climate change resulted in Irish temperatures in excess of 30°C in May, breaking a 29-year-old record by more than two degrees;
- a UN report has described Ireland as a cautionary tale on the environmental impact of data centres;
- the government is implementing policies that will increase fossil fuel use by facilitating further new data centres through the CRU’s Large Energy User (LEU) connection policy, the introduction of private wires legislation, and the construction of a floating terminal for the importation and storage of liquid natural gas (including fracked gas);
- over 22% of our electricity is already used by data centres, this will rise to over 30% by 2030, and to 55% if growth continues as projected, using more power than every other electricity user in the country combined;
- the Climate Change Advisory Council noted in May that all new renewable energy being developed in the State is being cannibalised by new demand created by data centres, rather than going towards decarbonising homes, transport or industry;
- research projects that the 5.8GW of additional data centre capacity under the LEU may result in a doubling of the State’s peak demand for electricity generation and lead to an increase in gas consumption by 2030 against the current projected decline, should capacity be constructed ahead of new renewables capacity;
- no offshore wind power generation capacity will be available before 2030 despite a 5GW target;
further notes that:
- Ireland has the highest electricity prices in the EU while over 500,000 households are in arrears on their energy bills;
- the increased and inflexible energy demands of data centres means that more and more often gas generation sets the wholesale price of electricity, rather than renewables, resulting in higher prices for households, while Eurostat shows that large energy users pay lower network charges;
- research by Friends of the Earth Ireland shows that Irish households paid an estimated €715m more in electricity bills from 2015 to 2023 due to data centres, equivalent to €360 per household, and face an additional €1.43bn in costs up to 2034, costing each household up to €644 more;
- the ESRI has shown that recent energy price increases hit low-income households harder, and that more targeted support measures are needed;
regrets that:
- the 2026 Climate Action Plan still has not been published;
- the final, phase 2 report of the Land Use Review Oversight Group was submitted over a year ago and has still not been published;
- planned legislation to prioritise critical infrastructure will bypass statutory climate obligations;
recognises that:
- data centres are essential infrastructure for the modern digital economy and the development of artificial intelligence technology but are overly concentrated in Ireland, are using an ever-increasing amount of energy resulting in higher costs for households and businesses, and increased development is now at odds with our climate targets;
- discussion by government of nuclear power is a nonsense and a form of climate obstructionism which distracts and blocks real climate action;
- the government will further increase carbon emissions by lifting the Dublin Airport cap, promoting unsustainable housing and economic development, and by no longer prioritising public transport and active travel investment over roads construction;
condemns the decision of the government to use the Critical Infrastructure Bill to disapply section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act from designated projects; and
calls on the government to:
- publish the 2026 Climate Action Plan and the final phase 2 report of the Land Use Review Oversight Group without any further delay;
- delete section 7 of the Critical Infrastructure Bill and publish the legal advice confirming the constitutionality of the provision to disapply Section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act;
- suspend the CRU LEU connection policy and commission an independent study of the impact of data centres on electricity prices, carbon emissions, water usage and grid stability;
- introduce a moratorium on the further construction of data centres until renewable energy from offshore wind comes online, and households and businesses can benefit from lower energy costs;
- introduce a levy on the energy usage of data centres to recover the higher electricity costs now being imposed on Irish households and businesses;
- confirm by how much Ireland will miss our binding 2030 emission targets, what the cost of securing additional carbon credits will be, and how the next government will pay for those; and
- immediately reintroduce targeted energy credits and more targeted SEAI supports for households in advance of Budget 2027.