Ireland's Data Centre Expansion Could Match National Electricity Demand by 2040

Ireland's Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) will discuss plans for data centre expansion that could lead to new centres consuming 5.8 gigawatts (GW) of electricity by 2040. This figure is comparable to the highest recorded peak electricity demand for the entire Republic of Ireland across all sectors, which reached 6.02 GW in January 2025.

Currently, data centres use 22 per cent of Ireland's electricity, the highest proportion globally, projected to exceed 30 per cent within five years. A government policy from last December aims to facilitate further expansion, requiring new data centres to provide 80 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources, but only after six years of operation.

Hannah Daly, Professor of Sustainable Energy at University College Cork, will warn the committee that these rules will increase greenhouse gas emissions, hinder national emission reduction goals, and violate climate laws and international agreements. She emphasizes the need for policy coherence, as this expansion contradicts national climate policy. Jennie Stephens, Professor of Climate Justice at Maynooth University, will also raise concerns about the strain on electricity supply and renewable energy transition. Andrew Parnell, Professor of Data Science for Climate and Weather at University College Dublin, will highlight AI's potential for improving weather forecasting and energy management. Committee vice-chairman James Geoghegan stated the aim is a balanced discussion on AI's challenges and opportunities.