Step One Enter your Details Data centre expansion is undermining Ireland's climate action!Take our e-action urging ministers to introduce a moratorium on new data centres coming online until any threat to the sustainability of our energy system from data centre expansion has passed.The current uncontrolled growth of data centres is not compatible with a stable electricity system, nor with the binding pollution limits adopted by the Dáil and the Government’s decarbonisation plans that flow from them.Data centre growth has resulted in an increased risk to Ireland’s energy security and a serious risk of Ireland becoming locked in to dirty, expensive fossil fuels. It's time to put a halt to them! Minister Minister Simon Coveney (FG) Minister Darragh O'Brien (FF) Minister Eamon Ryan (GP) Your Details Fields marked with an asterisk * must be completed. Name * E-mail * Constituency * Constituency * ------- Not Applicable Carlow / Kilkenny Cavan / Monaghan Clare Cork East Cork North Central Cork North West Cork South Central Cork South West Dún Laoghaire Donegal Dublin Bay North Dublin Bay South Dublin Central Dublin Fingal Dublin Mid-West Dublin North West Dublin Rathdown Dublin South Central Dublin South West Dublin West Galway East Galway West Kerry Kildare North Kildare South Laois / Offaly Limerick City Limerick County Longford / Westmeath Louth Mayo Meath East Meath West Roscommon / Galway Sligo / Leitrim Tipperary Waterford Wexford Wicklow Yes, keep me posted on your campaigning and what I can do. No, I don't want to hear from you again. Only use my personal data to deliver this campaign action. If you select 'no' and you are currently on our mailing list you will be removed. We respect your privacy, read more. Friends of the Earth will send you periodic updates and action alerts by email. We will do our best to respect your time and interest. You can remove yourself from the mailing list at any time by using the link at the bottom of emails we send you. We will not give your email address to anybody else. Check Your Message Message Subject: Edit the email subject line - (optional) Message Text: Dear (each target will get a separate, personalised email), I’m very concerned about the climate crisis and very conscious of the need to reduce energy demand in order to address it. I was therefore quite alarmed when the CSO recently announced that data centres consumed 18% of total electricity last year. And equally concerned by the fact that the electricity consumption of Irish data centres grew by 31% between 2021 and 2022. While the Government has taken some measures to address data centre demand in recent years, this figures clearly show it is not enough. And the number of applications for more data centres suggests that the situation will continue to deteriorate unless addressed, putting pressure on local communities and undermining the achievement of climate targets. Ireland is an outlier even compared to other ‘data-centre friendly’ countries in Europe, like Denmark, and the Netherlands. I’m also concerned by statements made by ministers in recent weeks, which have downplayed or ignored the impact of further projected developments on electricity demand, as well as risks of fossil fuel lock-in. While the deployment of renewables is growing, the growth of data centres is diverting this clean energy from where we really need it - the decarbonization of our homes and transport. We are running to stand still. I urge you to introduce a complete moratorium on new data centres coming online until any threat to the sustainability of our energy system from data centre expansion has passed. The current uncontrolled growth of data centres is not compatible with a stable electricity system, nor with the binding pollution limits adopted by the Dáil and the Government’s decarbonisation plans that flow from them. While data centres represent a relatively small share of our overall emissions, they are the clearest example of policy incoherence in our electricity system, resulting in an increased risk to Ireland’s energy security and a serious risk of Ireland becoming locked in to dirty, expensive fossil fuels. This will undermine the Government’s climate credentials unless comprehensive action is taken urgently. I really feel that a new regulatory framework is needed to ensure that any future expansion of data centres only happens if and when it is in line with the carbon budgets and the stability of the energy system. I support the analysis and recommendations made by Friends of the Earth in this regard in their recent letter to you, which can be viewed here: https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/assets/files/pdf/foe_proposals_re_data_centre_expansion_-_letter_to_ministers_june_2023.pdf The new regulations must provide full transparency on data centre connections and associated emissions and reform the powers and functions of relevant public bodies, such as the CRU, An Bord Pleanála and Gas Networks Ireland, in order to ensure compliance with the carbon budgets. This should also include the introduction of mandatory caps on fossil fuel demand from data centres, building on the planned assessment noted in the latest Climate Action Plan. The necessary implementation of new EU laws related to energy efficiency and reporting by corporations provides one opportunity for Government to institute this enhanced framework. I do hope you will take action on this urgent issue and I look forward to hearing back from you. Yours sincerely etc, Edit the email text - (optional) Next Step - Preview your message → Categorised in: Climate Change Energy Tagged with: Faster and Fairer Climate Action No New Gas