Irish Examiner view: Energy grid in need of investment

Eirgrid estimates demand for power in Ireland will surge 45% between 2023 and 2034, fuelled in part by data centres

'Ireland has created vast quantities of renewable energy in recent years, and yet there is one data centre in Dublin that consumes energy equivalent to 200,000 homes — and Irish energy policy has been revised to attract more such centres.' Stock picture

The news that 2025 was the third hottest year on record likely came as no surprise. Indeed, the last 11 years have been the hottest since records began, which is a damning legacy of our inability, or rather unwillingness, to as a species act as we need to act.

The Paris climate deal had set a threshold of 1.5C to stave off the worst effects of environmental change, but we are already close to that with no indication things are going to halt.