Source: ClientEarth

Environmental lawyers have presented a case to the High Court challenging the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities (CRU) over its Large Energy Users Connection Policy published in December 2025, arguing the policy permits data centres to operate on fossil fuels for the next six years and would thereafter require only an energy supply that is at least 80 percent renewable while excluding backup generation from that calculation. The claim is brought by Friends of the Irish Environment, Friends of the Earth Ireland and ClientEarth and contends the CRU’s approach fails to meet obligations under specified Irish and European laws and would lock Ireland into high‑emitting and expensive fossil gas for years to come.

Plaintiffs emphasise that data centres already consume over 20 percent of Ireland’s electricity and that this share could rise to about a third of national electricity use by the end of the decade, warning of greater greenhouse gas emissions, renewed dependence on imported fossil fuels and exposure to price volatility. The legal challenge cites specific instruments and obligations listed in the press notes, and includes statements from Tony Lowes, Deirdre Duffy and ClientEarth lead lawyer Natascha Hospedales that criticise the policy’s legal and policy direction and seek judicial review to prevent the anticipated locking‑in of emissions and energy dependence.