Oireachtas committee told an average data centre uses as much electricity as a small city like Kilkenny

Eirgrid is warning Ireland won’t have enough electricity to meet demand for the next five winters, if action isn’t taken.

The company says it’s due to the closure of older power plants and a rise in demand for electricity.

Eirgid is warning this winter will be challenging, with possible power outages.

Environment Minister Eamon Ryan admits it will be a struggle for a few years but says it’s manageable, noting “It is going to be difficult in the next three to four years, it’s quite a tight situation because we will need new, more flexible generation plant that can match with the wind more effectively, we’re particularly challenged in this winter and the next two to three winters while that new plant is purchased but we can and will manage this”.

One of the major problems facing electricity supply is data centres – and the electricity required to run them.

An Oireachtas committee was warned yesterday that an average data centre uses as much electricity as a small city like Kilkenny.

Commissioner Jim Gannon from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, says “It’s been well flagged by Eirgrid that not only would their centres be a very big part of our demand but a very big part of our demand growth, for our part we have a recent consultation out where we look at that challenge and effectively we’ve invited data centres and others to say if we and as we are going to meet this demand, how can they contribute to the challenges they post”.