Data centres must get at least 80% of their energy from renewables, regulator says

The Commission for Regulation of Utilities will give them a six-year lead-in time to develop new renewable electricity projects.

Data centres will need to meet at least 80% of their annual energy demand from new renewable electricity projects, but will get a six-year lead-in time to develop them, Ireland’s energy regulator has said.

In publishing its long-awaited new electricity connection policy for data centres here, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) said operators like Eirgrid and ESB Networks will have to consider where a data centre is being proposed for and if the energy demand in that area is already constrained in deciding if they can accommodate it.