Analysis: facing an energy crisis not seen since the 1970s, how worried should we be about the lights going out this winter?
But how have we arrived at this situation, and how worried should we be about the prospect of the lights going out this winter? What will happen in Ireland if the worst fears are realised and we run out of electricity? And finally, what can we do, in the short term and long term, to manage our way out of an energy crisis?
The political blame game for our energy security woes has already begun. Many point the finger at policies that have allowed the rapid expansion of Ireland's data hosting industry, leading to a situation where data centres now make up 14% of our total electricity demand. This increased demand from data centres has undoubtedly created challenges to our security of supply.
How likely is this to happen? The truth is that it is impossible to say, since the above scenario depends on several factors that are inherently unpredictable. We may be lucky in that we avoid any major technical faults during peak periods when supply-demand is tightest. The weather may be kind, with good winds and a relatively mild winter without extreme cold weather events.