Tánaiste urges against portraying data centres as ‘bogeymen’ on energy bills

Tánaiste Simon Harris said data centre capacity was enabling something in the order of €100bn in annual gross value added, 875,000 jobs, and €14.6bn in annual employment-related taxes. Picture: PA

The Tánaiste has urged against portraying data centres as “bogeymen” when it comes to rising electricity prices in Ireland.

Simon Harris was responding to questions in the Dáil on a Friends of the Earth report that said data centres were driving up the wholesale price of electricity due to their increasing demands on the grid supply.