Data centres now account for 21% of all electricity consumption in Ireland, according to data published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This figure represents an increase from 18% in 2022 and is significantly higher than the 5% recorded in 2015.

Quarterly metered electricity consumption by data centres increased steadily, from 290 gigawatt-hours in the first quarter of 2015 to 1,661 gigawatt-hours in the fourth quarter of 2023—a rise of 473%.

By comparison, urban households used 18% of metered electricity in 2023, while rural households accounted for 10%.

PPA

While many data centres have secured power purchase agreements with wind and solar farms to reduce their carbon footprint, this strategy has faced criticism.

Some argue that the renewable electricity used by these data centres could have been allocated to other sectors in Ireland.

Overall, total metered electricity consumption rose by 24% between 2015 and 2023, driven by economic expansion, population growth and the increasing number of data centres.