TD calls for 'strategic management' of data centres

Vivienne Clarke

Social Democrats leader Jennifer Whitmore has called for greater “strategic management” of data centres by the Government.

No one entity within the Government had oversight for the management of data centres, she told RTÉ radio’s News at One.

There was no recognition that data centres needed to become part of the solution, she added.

Ms Whitmore’s comments come as it was revealed that energy consumption by data centres rose by more than 30 per cent.

According to new figures published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), data centres increased their power consumption by 31 per cent and now for 18 per cent of electricity use while households reduced their consumption of electricity last year by nine percent.

The question now was how many data centres could the country manage, could the growing energy use be afforded from a climate perspective, said Ms Whitmore.

“The Government does not seem to have a strategy for oversight. There needs to be strategic management of data centres.”

Households had reduced their energy use because of higher costs and concerns about climate change, but their efforts were being negated by data centres, she said.