Data centers are allowed to connect to the grid in Ireland again – and the new rules could lead to a fresh wave of CPPA opportunities for wind projects.
In December 2025, Ireland's Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) ended its de-facto ban on new data center grid connections that had been in place since 2021. New data centers can now connect to the grid again, if they meet certain requirements – one of which is that any new data center must meet 80% of its annual electricity demand with new renewable energy sources. The requirement can be met through CPPAs or direct development and must be met within six years of the data center beginning operations.
Data centers already consume around a fifth of Ireland’s total electricity. Since 2021, development has been stagnant, but with the moratorium lifted, Ireland could again become a prime destination for data center developers, leading to a wave of new data centers and subsequently a rapid rise in demand for CPPAs under the new rules.
Aegir Insights analyzed the competitive landscape for wind projects:
🔹More than 40 onshore wind projects and two offshore wind projects are in the race to strike CPPAs with data center developers looking to start building in 20206-2027. Onshore wind is currently the most mature, cost-competitive renewable technology in Ireland, and has a significant development pipeline that can meet the six-year glide path set by the rules. Data center developers looking to meet the 80% within six years requirement will likely turn to onshore wind CPPAs first.
🔹 In the longer term, the role of offshore wind is expected to grow. Currently, most offshore wind projects are financed via the ORESS auctions, but in the longer term, DMAP areas off the south coast and potential future areas off the west coast are envisioned to play key roles in Ireland’s plans for Green Energy Parks, where data centers and other large energy users would be co-located or close to with renewable energy generation.
🔹 Geography matters. Dublin's grid is largely off-limits under the new rules, pushing data centers toward less constrained areas such as the south or west coast, or pushing them to consider private wire solutions with e.g. onshore wind. New rules are underway that will enable direct, private wire connections between generators and large users under certain circumstances.
Aegir Insights’ clients can access our latest report on data centers in Ireland on our Intelligence Platform.
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