New electricity connection policy for Irish data centres

Author: Simon Rowley

The CRU in Ireland has released a report on laying out a potential pathway for connection applications for new data centre customers to the electricity grid – with due regard to security of supply and network constraints while minimising, where possible, potential impacts on national renewable energy targets and carbon emissions.

In response to this, Chris Collins, Schneider Electric’s Country President for Ireland, has given his thoughts on how Ireland can have a successful energy transition without compromising economic growth; along with how this requires government support, grid infrastructure expansion, decentralisation through microgrids, and large consumers acting as both energy consumers and producers to accelerate renewable adoption and resilience.

Chris comments, “Solving the energy transition, without deprioritising economic growth, requires an all-hands approach with build-out of grid infrastructure, increases in grid scale renewable generation and storage, and large consumers coming to the table as both consumers and producers of energy as part of a future, interactive energy system.

“Longer term, there needs to be greater encouragement from the Government to press ahead with renewable projects which can build more resiliency into Ireland’s energy system. Ireland needs a smarter, more decentralised grid based on a network of microgrids – self-contained sites that allow you to generate your own electricity using a mix of renewables – to cope with surges in power demand.

“By doing so, we can transition from one central point of electrical generation to literally thousands of points of electrical generation, effectively transforming homes and businesses, including data centres, into producers of energy. This brings large consumers, in particular, to the table as prosumers, and expands localised generation and storage through microgrids. Microgrids can be rolled out at a quicker pace than national grid upgrades, and at a fraction of the cost. It’s crucial to help us move away from fossil fuels and opens the door for more on-site renewables and storage that integrates with the grid.”

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