Sir, – Meeting national CO2 targets is a sticking point in government formation talks. The Irish Times noted a forecast from Eirgrid that "by 2027, electricity demand from data centres will have risen to 31 per cent of total demand. One site alone, the Amazon data centre in Mulhuddart, Dublin, if the full plans for the site are realised, will consume an estimated 4.4 per cent of Ireland's total energy demand by 2026. It will provide as few as 30 permanent jobs" (Patrick Bresnihan, and Patrick Brodie, "High-energy data centres not quite as clean and green as they seem", Opinion & Analysis, September 11th, 2019). Data centres are extremely detrimental to our environment and economy. They were erroneously deemed strategic infrastructure and planning applications go directly to Bord Pleanála under the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2018. Repeal this amendment to the Act and at a stroke limit future CO2 emissions. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CHAPMAN,
Booterstown, Co Dublin.