Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statements. I have two questions. The opening statement referred to demand flexibility. What actions or measures will ESB Networks take to reduce demand for large energy users such as data centres? We know that the consumption of energy by data centres increased by 265% between January 2015 and December 2021. We need to be clear that that burden cannot be carried by households. I would like to discuss the measures being taken to reduce the consumption by high energy users.

While I welcome the emphasis on climate transition, this year the Irish Independentreported that the ESB had resumed purchasing coal from the Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia to be burned at Moneypoint. Christian Aid, which works with human rights defenders in La Guajira, the region where the giant mine is based, has consistently raised how communities displaced by the mine have chronicled a litany of abuses, including-----