For many years I have been a defender and proponent of building more data centres in Ireland. I have previously spelled out why I am in favour of them so I’m not going to repeat those arguments. I am now, at least temporarily, changing my position. Stupid incentives are now requiring these data centres to have to say they will get X% of their power from ‘renewables’. In short, its greenwashing BS that is giving licence to destroy rural Ireland and important productive agricultural land by burying thousands and thousands of acres under Chinese solar glass deserts. We are seeing protected sites bulldozed, property owners threatened that their land will be CPO’d. Out of control promoters empowered and financed with the vital ingredient of power offtake agreements with data centre operators. All this crew lording it over locals in manners you could barely make up. Stop the greenwashing. Put in serious plans to power data centres of the future. SMR’s, drill for more gas, build tidal generation (which would be cheap, predictable and not intermittent power for Ireland). Data centres requiring greenwashing renewables? No. do it properly or don’t do it at all.

Posted by Fred Bassett