Campaigners Warn Irish Households Could Pay €1.6 Billion Extra Due to Data Centres

Campaign groups Beyond Fossil Fuels and Friends of the Earth Ireland warn that the proliferation of data centres could force up household energy bills. Their report, published Thursday, estimates Irish households could pay an extra €726 million to €1.6 billion in total from 2025 to 2034. This range reflects uncertainties in renewable energy deployment, electricity consumption, and potential new energy crises.

Ireland, with almost 100 data centres, has one of the highest concentrations per capita globally. These centres currently account for 22% of the country’s electricity demand, increasing grid pressure and reliance on gas-fired power. During the last energy price shock, data centres contributed approximately 8.5% to the average Irish household electricity bill. The NGOs are calling for safeguards as the European Commission aims to triple Europe’s data centre capacity in the next five to seven years.

They propose a green mandate requiring at least 80% renewable power for new facilities and blocking developments unless accompanied by new, local, and additional green electricity sources. Irish MEP Lynn Boylan (The Left) advocates for a legal framework prioritizing people over big tech, with her party, Sinn Féin, supporting a 100% green energy requirement. Boylan was among three dozen MEPs who recently demanded the Commission amend the Data Centres Act to clarify environmental impacts.

Upcoming events include the publication of the EU rating scheme for data centres in early June and a package on data centre energy efficiency on July 22. However, Beyond Fossil Fuels notes that ambitions for the rating scheme, intended to align the sector with climate neutrality goals, have been scaled back.