Eirgrid U-turn on data centres after IDA chief intervenes

Martin Shanahan contacted Eirgrid chief after revelations in Business Post last week. Grid operator will now assess Dublin applications on ‘case-by-case basis’

Mark Foley, chief executive of Eirgrid: the grid operator had told the data centre industry that it would not provide connection agreements for new data centre facilities in the Dublin region until 2028, but rowed back on the plan when Martin Shanahan, the head of IDA Ireland, personally intervened. Picture: Aidan Crawley

Eirgrid has rowed back on plans to introduce a moratorium on new data centre developments in the greater Dublin region after Martin Shanahan, the head of IDA Ireland, personally intervened, the Business Post can reveal.

As reported by this paper last week, Eirgrid recently told the data centre industry that it would not provide connection agreements for new data centre facilities in the Dublin region until 2028 at the earliest.

The move amounted to an ...