Microsoft has been granted permission to build a 170MW gas power plant for its Dublin data center development at Grange Castle. The gas plant, estimated to cost €100 million, will be used daily to provide power for the data center and act as a backup when the national grid is under strain. The large-scale plant will be accompanied by 21 backup diesel generators to reduce the data center’s impact on the grid.

Ireland had previously halted new data center developments in Dublin until 2028 due to strain on the grid, but Microsoft’s gas-powered solution allows them to have their own power source, potentially making them independent of the electricity grid. The decision to use gas has faced objections, with concerns raised about its impact on Ireland’s decarbonization targets. People Before Profit councilor Madeleine Johansson has objected to the proposal, expressing concerns that while it won’t burden the national electricity grid, it will contribute to Ireland’s carbon emissions. The councilor believes that Microsoft’s gas-powered approach is a means to bypass the new stricter criteria for data centers in the Dublin Region.

Key factors:
1. Microsoft has been granted permission to build a 170MW gas power plant for its Dublin data center.
2. The gas plant will provide power to the data center daily and act as a backup when the national grid is strained.
3. Ireland had previously halted new data center developments in Dublin until 2028 due to grid constraints.
4. The gas plant will be accompanied by 21 backup diesel generators to reduce the data center’s grid impact.
5. There are concerns about the impact of gas usage on Ireland’s decarbonization targets.
6. Microsoft’s gas-powered solution allows data centers to have their own power source, potentially making them grid-independent.

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