Sir, – The recent CSO report about Ireland’s disproportionate electricity use by data centres (“Data centres now account for 21% of all electricity consumption”, News, July 23rd) does not inspire confidence in the Government’s commitment to actually achieving its stated climate goals.
The only way that allowing this huge expansion could fail to increase emissions would be either if we already have enough year-round renewable energy for all needs (including data centres), or if the money that the State receives from hosting them is being ring-fenced to create new renewable capacity that wouldn’t otherwise have existed.
Of course, data centres have a huge part to play in much of modern life, and they can, for example, enable us to work in ways that reduce emissions. But at a time when energy stability (and price) is by no means a given, and when achieving climate targets is already challenging enough, it seems baffling that our Government chooses to be such an extreme outlier in this respect. – Yours, etc,
DAVE MATHIESON,
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Salthill,
Galway.
Sir, – The world demand for data storage is growing exponentially and at some point will outstrip our ability to generate the necessary power, efficiency improvements not withstanding. It is essential that our Government recognises the issue and plan now to curtail this growth. One way would be to require every data centre to build its own renewable energy generation and recycle all the water they use. In other words, ensure they cover the true cost of their operations. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK DAVEY,
Shankill,
Dublin 18.