Nearly nine out of ten people say it’s time data centres started paying their fair share.
That’s one of the key findings from a survey carried out by ‘Friends of the Earth’, and ‘Beyond Fossil Fuels’, which shows overwhelming support for stricter rules on data centres.
Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin’s MEP for Dublin has said that this report clearly shows that people want to see more fairness from data centres in terms of their transparency, and the cost of the energy that they use.
Boylan said “the figures in this report from Ireland are clear, with an overwhelming majority saying that we need more fairness, and transparency when it comes to data centres.”
The report found that almost 86% believe that new data centres should only be built if they’re powered by renewables,
Boylan noted the public view is also consistent with Sinn Féin’s policy on this issue, as well as the Climate Change Advisory council.
88% of those polled believe that data centres should “pay their fair share.”
The Sinn Féin MEP said “data centres put a huge amount of pressure on our grid, yet the CRU has proposed that they should pay less for the energy that they use, than ordinary households.”
“It’s not fair to charge ordinary people more, while handing a price cut to the multibillion-euro tech companies that set up these centres, and heap so much pressure on our electricity and water grid.”
A further 90% of those polled have called on data centres to “come clean” about their energy usage, and where exactly their energy comes from.
“Transparency must be the law, not an option. Yet, the government has failed to implement the EU rules that obligate data centres to share this information,” Boylan said.
“We can have a more sustainable, and fair digital future, but it means we need a government that will stand up to these big corporations and put ordinary people and our environment first.”
The polling, conducted by Savanta and commissioned by Beyond Fossil Fuels, has revealed that people in Ireland overwhelmingly want Ireland’s energy supply to be prioritised for housing and public services over data centres.
The polling revealed strong public awareness that data centres already account for a large share of national energy consumption in Ireland and revealed strong public concern regarding the threat that further data centre growth poses to Ireland’s water supplies and surrounding ecosystems.
Commenting on the polling, Rosi Leonard, data centre campaigner with Friends of the Earth said “the government’s failure to regulate data centres is placing massive strain on our energy grid, using up energy that is desperately needed to power our homes and public services.”
“This polling shows that the general public shares Friends of the Earth’s concerns about energy and resource use by data centres and wants to see Government action to address it. It’s very clear that people want to see housing and public services prioritised for access to energy.”