80,000 Homes or less than 50% of an AI Data Center?
Posted 24th Sept 2026 – By Ross McGann
BnM, formally Bord na Mona’s, Derrinlough Windfarm, part of their Energy Park, in Co Offaly could produce at max capacity 126MW which could power about 80,000 Irish Homes.
However a Corporate Purchase Power Agreement (CPPA) between the Semi State body and Amazon Web Services [AWS] means that all of that electricity, even if not actually generated, will be provided to AWS’s new AI Data Center.
Details relating to the the total amount of electricity the center will need is not currently available publicly, as the energy park comes under Strategic infrastructure it went directly through An Bord Plenala.
We don’t have to look far for a comparison as the billion euro Data Center complex in neighbouring Westmeath is close by. It is reported to need up to 240MW, over twice the output of the Derrinlough Windfarm.
So where will the difference come from?
There is an agreement that if BnM are unable to provide the electricity from Derrinlough, then they must provide it from the grid.
BnM operate a number of wind farms in the county, with Mount Lucas, 84MW, able to power 50,000 homes, Cloncree, 75MW, which can power 55,000 and are currently in the planning stages for Derrygreenagh, 180MW, which could power 125,000 homes at peak.
With the CPPA in place, Amazon could call on the new Derrygreenagh site and if a deal similar to Derrinlough is made, we could easily see another wind farm, built on lands owned by a Semi state body, that will not power a single Irish Home.
Not all about wind
The Rhode Green Energy park, in North Offaly, is planned to house Solar farms, Co2 Energy dome storage, Next-Gen Energy Storage battery, Green Hydrogen Hub & Innovation and a Substation battery.
These are all different methods for storing excess electricity to provide it back to the grid when needed.
The Yellow River Wind farm, owned by SSE Renewables, also makes up part of the Green energy park.
BnM also operate the Bord na Móna Eco Energy Park which houses Derrinlough wind farm, mentioned above and 200MW of co-located solar farms.
Not all renewable energy
At the same time we are building these renewable projects we are also planning to build another Gas fired power plant to support the increasingly strained grid.
The Derrygreenagh site will include a 750MW Gas generator. It will be fed by the new Gas Pipeline that will connect the Kerry import facility and a possible “LNG” (a lot of which will be US Fracked Gas) station in the Shannon.
One of the main backers to the original proposal for the station in Shannon is Wes Edens, the billionaire owner of New Fortress Energy, who is quoted on an a 2019 investor earnings call as saying:
“We basically end up creating our own demand. We’re, essentially, negotiating with ourselves, so we know the guy who owns the data [center]…”
The major issues
It appears as though the plans set out by the Mr Eden are coming true, the guys who owns the Data center are creating the demand and the guy who supplies the Fracked Gas might soon be supplying.
The Irish Government seem to be facilitating these plans, they allowed so many centers be built that they now consume almost as much electricity as every Irish house hold.
They have also allowed Energy companies to provide the centers with much cheaper electricity, with recent reports highlighting that this has caused a 30% increase to peoples bills.
Conclusion
We are at risk of loosing all of the gains made with renewables in relation to Irish Energy independence. The longer we lock into imported fuels, especially ones as harmful as Fracked Gas, the longer we will face price instability and billionaire created “Demand”.
With the total usage of these centers on track to be 30% of Ireland’s generated electricity by 2030, it about time the government prioritises 80,000 Irish Homes, over less than half of an AI Data Centers hungry needs.
