Data centers in Ireland consume more electricity than all city households
In 2023, more electricity was consumed in data centers in Ireland than in all urban households.
These data raise concerns that the growth in demand for data processing, due to the development of artificial intelligence, could call into question the achievement of climate goals.
According to official data from the Irish Statistics Agency, data centers consumed 21% of electricity, which is a fifth more than a year earlier.
It is the first time that data centers consumed more electricity than all city households, whose share in total energy consumption in 2023 was 18 percent, the Guardian reports.
Due to its low corporate tax policy, Ireland is home to the European headquarters of numerous multinational technology companies, including giants such as Google, Apple and Facebook.
Experts are concerned that a sudden surge in electricity demand, fueled by a growing number of data centres, could derail climate targets in Ireland and across Europe.
Google said earlier this month that it may delay its green goals because of its data centers, as it increased its total emissions by 48% last year compared to 2019.
Increase in demand for data processing
A surge in demand for data processing, fueled by a recent breakthrough in artificial intelligence, could see data centers in Ireland consume around 31 per cent of electricity over the next three years, according to the National Energy and Climate Plan.
This would exceed the demand for electricity in Ireland’s urban and rural households, which together accounted for 28 percent of total electricity demand in 2023.
It would also put pressure on technology companies to invest more in developing their own sources of renewable energy.
Last year, Ireland produced more than 50 percent of electricity from fossil fuels, of which 45 percent was produced in gas plants, and the rest by burning coal, peat or oil.
Wind energy had a share of 34.6% in electricity production, and solar energy 1.2%.
Source: Beta
Photo: Getty images, Pixabay
Source: bizlife.rs
