Policy / Setting conditions
Ireland
Ireland allows new data centres to connect to the grid only if they bring their own generation or storage and new renewables.
The energy regulator decided in December 2025 that new data centres must provide matching on-site or nearby generation or storage and source most of their power from new Irish renewables. A January 2026 government plan steers large energy users towards green energy parks near renewable supply. Capacity is therefore available, but on conditions that raise the up-front cost and complexity of a new build.
Power and grid
The regulator said system operators must publish a connection process for data centre applicants by 31 March 2026 and regularly publish capacity availability, and it projects data centres rising from 22% to 31% of national electricity demand by 2034.
The rules and programmes
| Instrument | Kind | Status | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRU large energy users connection policy decision | Grid | in force | Decided 12 December 2025: generation or storage matching maximum import demand, at least 80% of annual electricity from new Irish renewables, and location-specific grid assessment. |
| Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP) | Policy | in force | Published 13 January 2026; a plan-led approach with 17 actions and green energy parks that co-locate large users with renewable supply. |
Checked against the primary sources linked above on 2 October 2026. Due for review by 1 January 2027. This is a summary, not legal advice. If something is out of date, tell us.