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ARTICLE · 01 JULY 2026

Ireland’s Data Centre Connections: Back Online

William Fry LLP
William Fry LLP
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William Fry LLP

William Fry LLP

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Ireland has lifted its data centre connection moratorium and introduced a demanding new framework requiring developers to provide their own generation capacity, source 80% of electricity from new Irish renewables within six years, and meet strict grid stability requirements. The policy creates significant opportunities for developers who can navigate the complex intersection of grid connection, planning permission, and renewable energy procurement, though a pending legal challenge adds uncertainty to the la

IrelandEnergy and Natural Resources
Eva Barrett
Eva Barrett
Colm Booth
Colm Booth
Jason Milne
Jason Milne
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Back Online: Ireland’s New Framework for Data Centre Connections

A suite of plans and decisions (see here, here and here) published in late 2025 and the first half of 2026 has reset the framework for data centre connections in Ireland. This follows the effective moratorium on new connections which was put in place in 2021. For data centre developers, energy developers, energy investors, Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and utilities, understanding what has changed and what is required of new projects is now a commercial prerequisite.

From Moratorium to New Framework

Ireland’s data centre sector is significant by any European measure. Dublin ranks as the second largest data centre market in Europe with approximately 1,150 MW in operation as of mid-2025, and data centres accounted for 22% of metered national electricity consumption in 2024. EirGrid’s median growth scenario projects that share rising to 31% by 2034. That growth trajectory prompted the Irish energy regulator, the

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