Data centre expansion can’t come at expense of households, says Chu

Green Party councillor Hazel Chu has said that the expansion of data centres cannot come at the expense of households.

Chu, who serves as the Greens’ spokesperson on Expenditure, Digitalisation and Media has cast doubt on Goodbody’s report on the need for more data centres.

 “The government’s consistent cheerleading for data centre expansion has reached a point of reckless disconnect from the economic reality of Irish citizens,” the Pembroke councillor said.

“While the state prioritises US-based Big Tech, the average household is bearing the brunt of a two-tier energy system. Recent data confirms that Irish families are paying nearly double the electricity rates of these industrial facilities, effectively subsidising the massive energy consumption of global tech giants while struggling with a punishing cost-of-living crisis.””

In addition to this, Ireland has missed the first two reporting deadlines, as it is obligated to do under article 12 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which requires data centre operators to monitor the energy performance and to make this information publicly available at the national level.

Chu said, “we have missed two and we are en route to miss a third reporting deadline; it begs the question, why is this government failing in its obligations to be transparent when it comes to energy impact and data centres?”

The public is rightly uneasy about a national energy model that hoards grid capacity for data servers while families face rising network charges and inflated bills. If tech companies want ‘dibs’ on our renewable energy, they must wait until the government ensures affordable, secure power for our homes, schools, and hospitals,” she said.