The Government has unveiled a welcome, if belated, plan to address the growing gap between the energy needs of the high-tech sector, particularly data centres, and Ireland’s legally binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Data centres have become controversial in recent years because they are highly energy intensive. The LEAP strategy is designed to attract investment not only in data centres, but also other energy intensive industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. This would enable these companies over time to meet 80 per cent of their energy needs from renewable sources. Can Ireland produce enough clean energy in time to meet demand, even if data centres eventually generate much of their own energy?

Source: The Irish Times January 16, 2026 05:44 UTC