Gino Kenny Challenges Privatisation, Warns on Data Centre Power
Gino Kenny challenged the minister on privatisation and deregulation of the energy sector, arguing these policies have driven up electricity prices and benefited private companies. He warned that corporate interests and the rapid growth of data centres threaten the public good and could use up to 30% of the State's electricity within eight years, risking blackouts.
Questioning privatisation and deregulation
Gino Kenny asked whether privatisation of the energy sector has worked, saying deregulation over the last 25 years was supposed to drive prices down but has done the opposite. He said Ireland went from some of the lowest electricity prices in Europe to one of the highest and accused private energy companies of profiting, particularly in the last 18 months.
Comparison with other electricity systems
He contrasted Ireland's costs with France, noting France's heavy use of nuclear energy and claiming French electricity costs are about 50% less than the State's. He used this comparison to question the outcomes of Ireland's market model for electricity.
Concerns about natural resources and the public good
Kenny raised the bigger question of whether natural resources - wind and other energy sources - are being used for the common or public good or for profiteering. He said private enterprise has attempted to monopolise resources and argued this is not ethically right, urging that resources be placed in the public interest.
Data centres and electricity demand
He highlighted the proliferation of data centres and described it as an extraordinary circumstance, warning that in eight years data centres could use up to 30% of all electricity available in the State. He criticised the expansion as allowed because of corporate interests and corporate profiteering.
Risk of blackouts and ministerial accountability
Noting the minister's mention of potential blackouts, Kenny asked why blackouts would be possible if the State has permitted such growth in data centres. He directed these questions to the minister and framed them as matters of public interest and energy policy accountability.
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Minister, I ask this question, and I am not sure what your answer is going to be, but do you think privatisation of the energy sector has worked, and obviously deregulation has happened in the last 25 years, and what deregulation was meant to do, and competition was to drive prices down for people that use electricity, but that is the opposite of what has happened in Ireland, the absolute opposite. Before, we had the lowest electricity prices in Europe, now we have one of the highest, so something has gone wrong, energy companies, private energy companies are doing very, very well, particularly in the last 18 months, for France, for example, and I know they use a lot of nuclear energy, but they have 50% their energy costs in relation to electricity costs are 50% less than we have in this state, and the bigger question is, and the bigger question is, and the bigger question is, and the bigger question is, are natural resources, wind, energy, all that we have in this country, how has it been used, is it being used for the common good, the greater good, the public good, or the good of profiteering, and the mantra is, it's private enterprise has essentially tried to monopolise that, and to make profit out of that, I don't think that is ethically right, and we need to put it, and we need to put it in the public interest, Minister, I just want to touch on the point around the proliferation of data centres, and it is an extraordinary kind of circumstance that the state finds itself, in eight years' data centres, in eight years' data centres will use up to 30% of all electricity that is available in the state. It is absolutely incredible that this was allowed to happen because of corporate interests and corporate profiteering. You have mentioned it yourself, because I get worried when you start saying about blackouts and so forth. Why would blackouts happen if you have allowed this to happen at the data centres? Thank you. Thank you.
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