Ireland warned it could face 'rolling blackouts' if it doesn't address data centres' demand for electricity
Ireland could be facing frequent power cuts following a warning from the country's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) that data centres are having a "major impact on the Irish electricity system."
Publishing a consultation paper earlier this week [PDF], the regulator said that the integrity of Ireland's power grid was under threat as data centres continue to hoover up vast amounts of 'leccy.
In a stark warning, the CRU said: "When this is also considered in the context of wider system security… it is clear that measures must be implemented in order to encourage data centres to address some of these risks."
Global players including Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft all have significant footprints in Ireland, making it one of Europe's data centre powerhouses.
Indeed, it is noted that these operations – along with other high-growth areas in the IT industry – have provided a significant fillip to Ireland's economy in recent years.
