On Tuesday (13 January), the Irish Government published the Large Energy User Action Plan (LEAP), a new framework designed to manage how large industrial electricity users are planned, connected and supported in Ireland’s energy system. Aimed at coordinating future investments by data centres, advanced manufacturers, semiconductors and other energy-intensive sectors with the country’s grid and renewable energy ambitions, LEAP seeks to provide strategic direction against a backdrop of rising demand and capacity constraints.
At its core, LEAP recognises that Ireland’s electricity network cannot continue expanding connections to large power users in an unplanned manner without risking grid reliability, security of supply and Ireland’s climate goals. The plan proposes spatial coordination of future Large Energy Users with locations of available energy generation and grid capacity, and enhanced cooperation between government departments, regulators and system operators to integrate energy planning with national policy objectives.
A grid under pressure
Ireland’s energy grid has faced mounting pressure in recent years as energy demand has grown faster than planned increases in generation and transmission capacity. One of the most visible tensions has been caused by data centres, powerful, server-dense facilities that consume large amounts of electricity. In 2024, data centres accounted for around 22% of metered electricity consumption in Ireland, a dramatic rise from single-digit percentages a decade earlier, even as planning and connection moratoriums in some regions slowed new build-outs.
That rapid growth has both economic and infrastructural implications. A single data centre in west Dublin, for example, consumes roughly as much electricity as 200,000 homes, effectively absorbing the capacity of a major substation and constraining connections for other users like housing and industry.
Analysis by energy observers has underscored that Ireland’s model of rapid data centre expansion, while economically attractive, has often outpaced the infrastructure needed to support it. Critics have argued that without stronger planning and investment in generation and grid reinforcement, Ireland risks deepening tensions between digital growth, energy prices and climate commitments.
Policy and regulatory shifts
LEAP follows a series of regulatory and policy developments aimed at addressing these issues. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) has proposed connection policies that would require data centres to match new load with on-site or proximate generation capacity and source a significant percentage of their electricity from new renewable projects.
Simultaneously, the government is looking to unlock more grid capacity in areas outside the Dublin constraint zone and better integrate new large users with generation, including wind and other renewables. Efforts are underway to upgrade transmission infrastructure and integrate cross-border interconnectors such as the Celtic Interconnector with France, which is expected to add 700 MW of capacity when commissioned.
Why LEAP matters
LEAP attempts to formalise a “plan-led” approach to large energy user growth that balances industrial opportunity with national energy realities. Ireland’s wind generation capacity has grown substantially over the past decade and now plays a significant role in meeting electricity demand, but integrating variable renewables with stable grid supply especially for 24/7 operations like data centres remains a technical and economic challenge.
By coordinating where and how large users connect, and aligning these connections with renewable energy and transmission upgrades, LEAP aims to reduce grid bottlenecks, support energy security and ensure that future growth does not come at the expense of reliability or climate targets.
Critics note that the plan must be accompanied by faster deployment of renewable generation, grid reinforcement and demand-side management if it is to prevent future scenarios where energy capacity lags economic demand, a dynamic that has already slowed projects and strained public confidence.
