Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 9 May 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action

Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities

Ms Aoife MacEvilly:

I think what is reflected in the Government policy statement is the aspiration or the strategy that the data centres should contribute to our decarbonisation goals. It is not just about publishing strategy; it is about strategy implementation. What are the other levers of strategy implementation around this that are being deployed by the broader system? That is where we need to be lined up because that will deliver better results for decarbonisation. It will also make more sense for a new user coming onto the system and wondering what it takes to get connected in Ireland. That should be clear upfront. We are talking about this in terms of something that we will be consulting on shortly, and these are the kinds of concepts that we will be putting out for consultation. This is what is needed to deliver that decarbonisation of economic growth.