Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

We clearly recognise that we have an issue with data centres. We cannot just have an open door whereby every new data centre that wants to get onto the grid is connected. If we did that, we would blow our climate budget and so on. We have introduced much-needed new arrangements. A data centre that wants to connect to the grid has to be part of solving the problem we have with managing the balance in the grid, such as providing backup power, providing a real benefit in terms of district heating or other solutions. Flexibility is required. I will make a point that is central to this issue. The primary reason for our high electricity prices is our dispersed population and grid connection. If we ask any expert analyst why Irish electricity prices are high in comparison to other European countries, it is largely due the fact that we have a different model of development. The dispersed population model is one of the main reasons we have higher costs.

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