The requirements of domestic households, small businesses and farmers must be given priority in the event of electricity shortages this winter, the ICMSA and INHFA have warned.

Both organisations also questioned why the Government was continuing to facilitate the unfettered expansion of high-energy-using data centres, even though the State’s electricity generation capacity was under severe pressure.

The farm leaders’ comments follow the admission by Eirgrid chief executive Mark Foley that power blackouts could not be ruled out this winter.

Power cuts

Foley was speaking at the launch of the latest Generation Capacity Statement (GCS) by EirGrid, which warned of “a challenging outlook for Ireland” in terms of electricity generation over the next decade.

“This year’s GCS forecasts significant electricity supply issues over the coming years, with an increase in the tightness between supply and demand,” the EirGrid chief executive commented.

“The number of system alerts will increase as our economy grows, electricity generators exit the market and demand increases, with significant new additional demand from the heat and transport sectors as they are electrified,” he predicted.

Foley did not rule out the possibility of power cuts this winter, pointing out that a period of calm and cold weather across Ireland and Britain could leave electricity supplies seriously exposed.

In its median forecast the GCS estimated that demand for electricity will increase by 37% by 2031.

The largest growth comes from the data centre sector and other large energy users, and an increased uptake of electric vehicles and heat pumps, particularly later in the decade.

'Difficult position'

Reacting to the GCS report, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said the effects of power shortages or outages on milk producers and processors would be incredibly serious.

“Farmers and co-ops would be placed in a very difficult position if we can’t rely on our energy supply and I guarantee that farmers and co-ops contemplating any kind of energy shortfall won’t want to be reading EirGrid explaining about the challenges presented by our hugely expanded - and still expanding - data centres,” McCormack said.

The ICMSA leader said the electricity needs of local enterprises will have to be prioritised in the event of electricity shortages

“I have no idea why anyone would imagine that a foreign-owned data centre employing fewer people than the local co-op store would have any more of a priority than the local milk processor on which thousands of local jobs are directly and indirectly dependant,” McCormack maintained.

INHFA president Vincent Roddy described Foley’s comments as “very concerning”.

“There are serious questions that Minister Eamon Ryan and the Government must answer relating to the reduction in electricity supply as a result of the closure of our peat stations, while continuing to promise a supply of electricity to data centres and other large electrical users when the capacity wasn't there,” Roddy said.