A legal challenge brought by three environmental groups threatens to stall the Irish government's plans to accelerate data centre development.
Friends of the Irish Environment, Friends of the Earth Ireland and ClientEarth have forced a High Court judicial review against the State’s energy regulator, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The groups are arguing new rules from the regulator, which allow data centres to use fossil fuels to generate some of their own energy requirements, run counter to Ireland’s Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act.
Law firm Pinsent Masons says the new policy means data centres would be eligible for grid connection if at least 80 percent of their annual demand for electricity can be met via renewable energy generated in Ireland. However, it is understood the groups want this figure to be much higher.
Zara West, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons, says the High Court challenge — scheduled for late April — is l
