Data centres to be required to make their carbon emissions public

The Irish energy regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), published a draft policy on February 18, 2025, focusing on data centres. The policy is open to public consultation over the next 6 weeks. 

Here are the key points:

• Carbon Emissions Reporting: Data centres will be required to publicly disclose their carbon emissions and use of renewable energy

• Energy Generation and Storage: New data centres must provide energy generation or storage to match their consumption. This generation or storage can be located near the data centre, not just onsite.

• Contribution to National Grid: New data centres will also be required to supply power to the national grid at times.

• Location Considerations: Eirgrid and ESB Networks must consider the location of data centres, especially in constrained regions, to avoid localised pressure on the electricity network.

• Growth Assessment: The appetite for further growth of data centres will be assessed, including the possibility of handing back unused electricity capacity.

This policy aims to align data centre development with Ireland's decarbonisation goals and manage the growing energy demand from these facilities.

Read the full article here: https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0218/1497295-data-centres-carbon-emissions/