Irish people surveyed want data centres to be powered completely by renewable energy

Irish respondents to an EU-wide survey of 300,000 people said housing is their preferred sector for energy prioritisation during power shortages. File picture: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty

Data centres should be helped the least in the event of future power shortages, according to a poll from environmental advocacy organisation Friends of the Earth.

Those polled in Ireland in an EU-wide survey of 300,000 people also want all new data centres to be powered completely by renewable energy sources.

Some key findings of the poll showed that, in Ireland, housing is the most preferred sector for energy prioritisation during power shortages, with 37% of respondents choosing it as their favourite, closely followed by public services, and then by agriculture and food supply.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Rosi Leonard said data centres are “overwhelmingly seen as the lowest priority”.

She also said public perception is that data centres already account for a large share of national energy consumption, with more than four in 10 saying they contribute "a great deal".

Last year, data centres in Ireland consumed more than a fifth of Ireland's metered electricity, up from just 5% a decade ago.

Most Irish respondents to the poll, which was conducted by market researchers Savanta and commissioned by renewables NGO Beyond Fossil Fuels, are worried new data centres could affect local water supplies and surrounding ecosystems. She said: 

Concern over data centre water usage dominates community opinion, with more than three quarters expressing worry about potential impact on their water needs.

Nearly nine in 10 believe companies should be required to disclose their energy sources, total use, and environmental impact.

Over eight in 10 also support requiring companies to disclose both which data centres they use and what services they use them for.

Some 86% of people also believe new data centres should only be constructed if powered by renewable energy sources.

Ms Leonard 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. 

"If the Irish Government chooses to protect communities and prioritise energy for housing and essential services by putting the brakes on Big Tech’s power grab, they will have the support of the public behind them.

"We’re urging the Government to bring in a moratorium on new data centre connections in accordance with the climate law”.

The survey comes as the government is under pressure to curb the expansion of data centres in the interests of helping Ireland achieve climate targets.

If it cannot reduce its greenhouse gas emissions substantially by 2030, Ireland faces fines of billions of euro under various EU requirements to cut emissions by half. 

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At the moment, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the best that Ireland is going to be able to do is slash its emissions by about 23% at the very most.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council both warned in April that - as a result - Ireland faces having to pay out up to €26bn in fines.