In 2015, Ireland’s data centres utilized 1,238 gigawatt hours of electricity, constituting 5% of the overall metered electricity consumption. By 2024, this figure soared to 6,969 gigawatt hours, representing 22% of the national total metered electricity usage, according to a report from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published on June 10, 2025. This remarkable growth exceeds the electricity usage proportions of urban households at 18% and rural households at 10%. The historical data from the CSO indicates a continuous upward trend in electricity consumption by data centres: 5% in 2015, steadily climbing to 22% in 2024. The electricity consumption of data centres surged over five times from 2015 to 2024. Quarterly data shows that usage increased from 290 gigawatt hours in Q1 2015 to 1,829 gigawatt hours in Q4 2024, marking a 531% rise during the timeframe.
Throughout the decade from 2015 to 2024, Ireland’s total electricity usage grew by 30%, from 24,600 gigawatt hours to 31,903 gigawatt hours. Data centres accounted for nearly four-fifths of this increase, or 5,731 gigawatt hours. In 2024, major energy consumers, including data centres, represented 31% of metered electricity consumption. Due to the absence of a predefined classification for data centres, the CSO had to discern these facilities from around 2.5 million meters by employing thresholds and cross-referencing data.
To address the rising energy requirements from data centres, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) implemented measures by instructing system operators to thoroughly evaluate grid connection applications from data centres. This was prompted by recognized risks to the security of the electricity supply. Moving ahead to December 12, 2025, the CRU unveiled a new directive requiring new data centres to integrate renewable and dispatchable electricity generation into their operations. The considerable surge in electricity usage by data centres has significantly transformed the energy consumption landscape and regulatory framework in Ireland over the last decade.