The growth of data centres is incompatible with our climate commitments according to new research. The study, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, says stricter polices are needed along with more transparency.
Stephanie Rohan reports: "The research shows electricity demand from data centres has grown at an annual rate of almost 23 per cent since 2015. That's compared to 0.4 per cent for other sectors. Data centres now account for a fifth of Ireland's electricity consumption and that's set to rise significantly by 2030.
"The report says this unprecedented growth will impact on Ireland's progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting legally binding carbon budgets. Around €15 billion has been invested in data centres here with two thirds of that coming from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Meta, and Google
