Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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54. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of grid alerts issued by Eirgrid in the past twelve months; the efforts his Department is taking to improve the State’s energy security; if he is concerned about the increase in electricity consumption of data centres by 20% between 2022 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16674/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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CSO data released in July 2024 showed a 20% increase in data centre energy consumption between 2022 and 2023, accounting for 21% of total electricity consumption. This growth in data centre energy consumption was anticipated. The CSO’s growth estimate for data centre energy consumption is in line with Ireland’s transmission system operator’s (EirGrid) projections, including in the All-Island Resource Adequacy Assessment (AIRAA) 2025-2034.

The AIRAA is an electricity system security study that assesses the balance between electricity generation capacity and electricity demand over the next ten years. The recently published AIRAA 2025-34 shows an improved picture for Irelands generation adequacy on last years study.

This improvement is due to new generation capacity additions, an improved accounting of existing generation (including from renewables) and interconnection capacities. It is also due to risk mitigations, delivered by Government and State agencies, such as the delivery of Temporary Emergency Generation (TEG).

System Alerts’ (previously known as amber alerts) are issued by EirGrid when the buffer between electricity supply and demand is tighter than optimum. It serves as a warning to the wider electricity sector to take pre-planned actions to protect the integrity of the grid and avoid entering ‘System Emergency’ when there is a risk that not all electricity demand can be met.

I am advised that there have been two system alerts issued in the last 12 months. These alerts took place during Storm Darragh in December 2024 and Storm Éowyn in January 2025.

I am further advised that there have also been five system margin warnings which is a pre-alert state and means the TEG units are being calculated in the reserve for the system. The TEG units have helped to reduce the number of system alerts and provided a buffer to the electricity system over the last year.

The Government set out a vision in the 'Energy Security in Ireland to 2030' strategy to move away from fossil fuels to an electricity led energy system. Delivery of our ambitious renewable and electrification targets set out in the Climate Action Plan will also be key in this regard.