Can our grid cope with a surge in data centres?

The outgoing energy Minister Eamonn Ryan said last week that there shouldn't be any more new data centres until such time as the electricity grid was beefed up and able to sustain the extra qualities of energy needed to cool these data warehouses.

That message will have sent a chill down the backs of those trying to make Ireland attractive for technology companies in general and AI in particular.  But was the minister right to say that building more data centres puts the horse before the cart if the grid is not ready or able to deal with surges in demand? Joe discusses this with Garry Connolly, Founder of Host in Ireland.