Tech companies turn to fossil fuels to power Irish data centres

Conservation group calls for effective regulation as multinationals increase use of on-site gas plants to generate electricity

A shortage of capacity on the electricity grid has forced several data centre operators to rely on gas plants to power their facilities

A growing number of data centres owned by large multinationals including Microsoft are using on-site fossil fuel-powered generators for all their electricity needs, a Business Post investigation has found.

A shortage of capacity on the electricity grid, especially in the Dublin region where most data centres are clustered, has forced several operators to rely on gas plants to power their facilities.

The use of on-site fossil gas for electricity has raised questions about the sustainability ...