Sir, – Tánaiste Leo Varadkar’s call (News, August 26th) for a massive increase in wind generation capacity to help supply the planned growth in data centres prompted me to check the current wind generation rate.
According to EirGrid’s dashboard, wind generation at time of writing amounted to 42 MW, equivalent to less than 1 per cent of national demand. That’s enough power for a handful of the 70 data centres currently operating here, assuming no other user groups have first call on it.
How “green” are existing and planned data centres really when the wind doesn’t blow and who should fund the massive “non-green” back-up capacity needed by proposed additional centres? – Yours, etc,
BRIAN FLANAGAN,
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Blackrock,
Co Dublin.