Mr. Eamonn Confrey:

Those concerned with renewable energy in the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment are trying to articulate the challenges associated with further data centre deployment. It is not all negative, in fairness. There could be options for offshore and renewable energy to provide some of the energy needed for data centres. This would ensure the demand on the Dublin area is not as significant. The Senator mentioned the peaks and troughs that are experienced as part of load management. Data centres can assist with more balanced load management because they are run on a 24-hour basis. The further decarbonisation of the transport sector will also be of assistance in this regard because electric vehicles can be charged at night. I do not disagree with the thesis that data centres present a challenge for the electricity system. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation is trying to formulate a broader Government response that ensures we do not walk in blindly and allow those involved with these centres to locate them in the locations they want. Instead, we will encourage them to locate in places that are more preferable from our point of view.