Webinar Overview

Date: Thursday 30^th October

Time: 3pm (GMT)

Ireland’s electricity grid faces unprecedented pressure as data centres consumed 22% of national demand in 2024, a figure expected to rise to 30% by 2030 with the rapid growth of AI. This raises a critical question: can our current rules sustain the future of Ireland’s energy system?

In this Smart Grid Ireland webinar, Professors Alexandra Klass (University of Michigan Law School) and Dave Owen (UC Law San Francisco) will present a bold new framework, first published in the George Washington Law Review.

Their proposal challenges the assumption that grid capacity must always expand to meet demand. Instead, they argue that data centres and other “superusers” should be treated as a distinct customer class, with new rules that require flexibility and enable capacity trading.

Drawing lessons from how U.S. regulators manage scarce resources like natural gas and water, this approach suggests that data centres could become part of the solution rather than the problem.

This is the first time their proposal will be shared with an Irish audience, offering fresh insights for policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders at a crucial moment in Ireland’s energy transition

Join us on Thursday 30^th October at 3pm to hear more.

Register now here.