Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Jim Gannon:

Meeting the target will be challenging, with or without data centres. As we articulated earlier, data centres can form part of that solution, especially if they can respond to the types of signals we are sending now about new connections. We have said that if you can bring generation and reduce demand, particularly in the times between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in winter time when the wind is low, data centres could provide us with part of the solution, not just challenges. These are the signals we are trying to send them now, not just in the connection to get the demand they are seeking but also in the market to respond to more expensive times during the day. We believe it can be accommodated but all the other challenges around 2030, regarding network reinforcement, generation and giving the typical residential consumer and small-scale business the opportunity to also inhabit and benefit from the market, still will remain. We believe we will send those signals to data centres.