Barr blocks plan to use data centre waste heat for pools
Chief Minister Andrew Barr ruled out co-locating data centres with swimming pools to capture waste heat for warmth.
The ACT Greens want Canberra to adopt a UK model. Data centres would heat public swimming pools using their waste warmth.
A small Deep Green data centre, the size of a washing machine, kept a UK council pool at 30 degrees for about 60 per cent of the time, saving thousands of pounds annually. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said locating data-centre infrastructure on suburban public pool sites is not justified, even if the waste heat saves energy.
The Greens will push the debate this week in the Legislative Assembly. They are also calling for a community levy on data centres to capture value from the AI boom.
Canberra has used excess heat before: the ice rink at Phillip passes its cooling heat to warm the outdoor pool next door.
- washing machine sized
- Deep Green data centre size
- 30 degrees, 60 percent of time
- Pool temperature maintained
- thousands of pounds annually
- Pool savings example
Why it mattersEnergy costs for public pools could fall sharply, but only if council priorities align with data centre placement.
AustraliaCanberra residents and local councils lose a potential low-cost way to heat pools during winter, a tool already working in the UK.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 d ago
