Campaigners demand review of Naas data centre land zoning

MORE than 250 people packed the ballroom at the Osprey Hotel in Naas on Thursday night as residents voiced growing concerns over the scale of planned data centre developments in the town.

The meeting, organised by the grassroots Kildare Data Centre Awareness Campaign, focused on the Herbata development and the proposed P2 Jigginstown site.

Campaign chairperson Krystle Foley said she was “shocked” to recently discover the scale of the developments.

“We’re here because we want to do something about it,” she told the meeting.

Herbata, which was approved by Kildare County Council in August 2025 and is currently under appeal, is expected to use up to 180 megawatts of electricity.

Campaigners said this would be roughly three times the electricity usage of the whole of Kildare.

The proposed facility, located around 2km from Naas town centre, was described as being equivalent in size to approximately 8½ Croke Park stadiums.

A map presented at the meeting showed the potential area affected by noise and emissions, with attendees reacting strongly as the highlighted area appeared to cover large parts of Naas and surrounding residential areas.

Dr Elaine McGoff, Head of Advocacy at An Taisce, spoke about the environmental impact of data centres and the organisation's appeal against Herbata.

She explained that data centres require constant cooling and that, during periods of hot weather, water can be needed to cool the equipment.

Her comments come as Naas faces a hosepipe ban following a particularly hot and dry summer.

McGoff described water availability as a “localised, seasonal issue” before asking:

“Whose needs are being prioritised here? When water gets scarce, who gets it?” Campaigners also cited figures claiming data centres currently account for 23% of Ireland's electricity use, while suggesting the additional demand could equate to around €715 extra per household electricity bill.

The meeting also heard concerns about the proposed P2 Jigginstown development.

Chairperson of the Social Democrats, Sorcha Ó Neill, told attendees that the project could be 41% larger than Herbata.

Although the development does not yet have planning permission, the land has already been zoned specifically for data centre use.

The campaign is calling on councillors to reconsider that zoning.

“Remove the problem before it gets here,” she said.

The site has also uncovered five significant archaeological sites, including a ring fort, which campaigners said would be lost permanently if the data centre proceeds.

The energy of local concern was completely palpable in the room, with many residents having their say, which elicited strong crowd reactions.

Residents raised questions about the impact of the developments on water supplies, including the Curragh Aquifer, electricity infrastructure, air quality and the wider environmental impact of AI-driven demand for data centres.

The campaign stressed that it is not anti-technology or anti-progress, but believes circumstances have changed significantly since data centre zoning decisions were made in 2021.

The group's overarching demands include greater transparency over data centre zoning, a review of existing policy, protection of local resources and support for a national moratorium on data centres.

A number of local and national politicians attended the meeting, while Cllr Bill Clear is expected to bring a motion concerning data centre land zoning before the next Naas Municipal District meeting, with Cllr Anne Breen set to support it.

In his motion, which is set to come before Naas Municipal District this Tuesday, asks the council to consider commencing the statutory process to make changes to the Naas Local Area Plan to review the existing “P Data Centre” zoning designation on lands at Jigginstown/Maudlins in Naas.

Attendees were encouraged to contact their local councillors about their concerns to make them aware of the huge level of local opposition to the two data centres.