Get data centres rules right or risk our kids' future
Climate Council
Ahead of the meeting of National Cabinet today where rules on data centres will be hashed out between Federal, State and Territory governments, Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie said:
“With the Australian Energy Market Operator yesterday confirming the data centre development pipeline has ballooned over the past 12 months to at least 225 proposals, it’s clear that how we manage this industry will shape extreme weather events and energy bills for decades to come.
“Every new data centre in Australia – including those already proposed – must be subject to strong standards that bring on genuinely new renewables, fast. That’s what Australians can reasonably expect, so we avoid data centres pushing up pollution or power prices.
“In committing to ensure every new data centre in Australia is powered by renewables, the Australian Government is heeding community concerns. Any state and territory blocking this move is putting the interests of industry ahead of their own people.
“We owe it to our kids and future generations to get data centre development regulation right.
“We risk pushing over the precipice of catastrophic warming that will see places like Darwin and Far North Queensland face months of additional unbearable heat every year as soon as 2050 if we don't stop data centres from being able to rely on polluting and harmful fossil fuels.”
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