Gino Kenny warns data centres could use 30% of electricity
Gino Kenny criticised the rapid growth of data centres and warned they could consume up to 30% of electricity demand within eight years. He urged a moratorium on new data centres and called for local democracy to be respected after South Dublin County Council's moratorium was overturned by the Minister.
Data centre growth and statistics
He cited figures saying data centres currently use 14 to 15 per cent of all electricity demand and warned that could rise to 30 per cent in eight years. He contrasted that projection with global averages of around 3 to 4 per cent and described the potential concentration of demand as "incredible."
South Dublin moratorium overturned
He recalled that South Dublin County Council, with the help of his party colleague Madeleine Johansson, voted for a moratorium on all data centres from 2022 to 2028. He said that decision has since been overturned by the Minister and described that outcome as wrong and against local democracy.
Concerns for households and sustainability
He warned a heavy concentration of electricity use by data centres could leave households without power in the event of a sudden demand shock. He argued the current model of supply and demand for electricity is not sustainable and appealed to the Green Party perspective on sustainability.
Call for national moratorium and local decision-making
He asked the Minister to relay his concerns to government colleagues and called for a moratorium on all data centres not only in South Dublin County Council but across the state. He stressed councillors should have a voice on the concentration of data centres in their counties.
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I would like to welcome this motion by the Rural Independence, it's quite a good motion, it kind of touches on many things in relation to energy but one of the issues that I want to reference is in relation to the proliferation of data centres in our country and I can speak for South Dublin County Council, at the moment there is near 50 data centres in South Dublin County Council alone, it's the highest concentration of data centres and the facts are absolutely stark in relation to data centres not only in South Dublin County Council but also in the state, at the moment data centres will use the 14 to 15 per cent of all electricity demand, in eight years time that will go to 30 per cent, it's an incredible figure when you think of that one third of electricity demand in relation to demand of electricity will be one entity in the state as in data centres, we're not against data centres wholesale but you would have to question the social use of data centres in relation to the proliferation of data centres and South Dublin County Council recently with the help of my party colleague Madeleine Johansson voted to put a moratorium on the on all data centres on all data centres in South Dublin County Council from 2022 to 2028 and that vote has been now overturned by the Minister and I think that's completely wrong, it's against local democracy and councillors should have a say and they should have a voice in relation to the concentration of data centres in relation to their county. As I said Minister, the facts are absolutely incredible, in cross around the world data centres on average will probably in each country that has data centres will use up to 3 to 4 per cent of their electricity demand, in Ireland that is as I said 15 per cent and growing, so what could happen, there is a potential that could happen, that because data centres are huge and so much resources that if there is a sudden demand or a sudden shock in relation to demand, I think what will happen is that households will be in the dark, because if there is such a concentration of electricity for data centres, this is not sustainable in any way and obviously as the Green Party, surely you would agree that this is not sustainable, a model of electricity, a model of electricity, a model of electricity supply and demand, so Minister, all I would say to you is that if you could relay this to your government colleagues, that local democracy should be upheld, there should be a moratorium on all data centres, not only in South Dublin County Council but the state itself. Thank you.
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