Local residents and campaigners have expressed deep shock and disappointment following Meath County Council’s decision to grant a ten-year planning permission for a gas-fired peaking plant in Kenstown, Co. Meath. The proposed development at Curraghtown, Brownstown, will span a 19-acre site and consist of three open-cycle gas turbine generators, each with a 30-metre high stack. If constructed, the facility is expected to operate for up to 40 years, providing backup electricity to the national grid.
“This is a deeply upsetting decision for a rural community already burdened by a large landfill facility in the area,” said Cllr. Emer Tóibín who has been involved with the local campaign group. “Now, this community is being asked yet again to accept industrial-scale development that threatens the environment, our wellbeing, and our future.”
Local residents are questioning why their area has once again been chosen for a large and unsightly facility with potentially serious environmental and health implications. Some believe the root cause lies in the massive and growing energy demands of data centres.
Data centres across Meath and Dublin now consume over 50% of the region’s electricity supply. This rapid growth has placed enormous strain on the grid, prompting proposals for emergency backup generation facilities, like the one now approved in Kenstown.
“There is a growing sense that rural communities are being sacrificed to meet the needs of data centres,” said Cllr Tóibín “This is not just a local issue, it’s a national policy failure.”
Critics point to the contradiction between escalating electricity costs for ordinary consumers and the Government’s support for energy-intensive data centre expansion. Ireland currently ranks among the most expensive countries in Europe for electricity prices.
Speaking today, Aontú councillor for Navan, who lives close to the community of Kenstown, raised the following concerns. What are the long-term environmental impact of a 40-year gas-fired plant. The visual and landscape degradation from industrial infrastructure in a rural setting. The cumulative impact on a community already hosting a major landfill. Lack of transparent public engagement or benefit to the local population.
It will come as no surprise that Aontú along with local campaigners are now considering their next steps, including a possible appeal or legal challenge. We are calling for urgent public debate on the long-term impact of data centre-driven energy demand and the fairness of national planning policy.
As of mid‑2024, Ireland has approximately 82 operational data centres, with 14 more under construction and planning permission granted for around 40 additional sites. This represents a projected growth of about 65% in the coming year. A separate detailed parliamentary estimate from March 2025 put the figure closer to 121 centres, operated by 24 providers. It is difficulty to get exact stats for each county – Meath is counted as in the Greater Dublin Area.
