According to official data, data centers in the Republic of Ireland consumed nearly a fifth of all the electricity in 2022.
All households in the nation's urban areas used exactly that amount.
The core of the operations of online businesses are data centers, which are essentially giant warehouses filled with computer servers.
To run and cool the servers, they require a sizable and steady supply of electricity.
Significant data centers are already present in Ireland for organizations like Facebook, Google, and Microsoft, and more are planned.
Out of the total metered consumption of 29,500 GWh, data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveals that the centers accounted for more than 5,200 GWh of usage in 2022.
According to Niamh Shanahan, a statistician in the CSO's environment and climate division, the consumption of data centers increased by 31% between 2021 and 2022 as a result of both new data centers being added to the grid and existing data centers using more electricity.
Since 2015, data centers in Ireland have increased their electricity consumption by 400%.
The new rules for tying data centers to the electricity grid to the grid were published in 2021 by Ireland's energy regulator.
Future connections will depend on the area, whether backup generators can be used, and whether it is possible to reduce power consumption when necessary.
The regulator expressed the hope that the guidance would reduce the dangers to the electricity networks and "provide clarity" for present and future connection requests.
Without a new policy, the regulator continued, there would probably be "a situation where demand would exceed available supply at the peak and would result in load shedding and consumers facing rolling blackouts."