Data centres back 100pc renewable energy offset rule
Newly built Australian data centres must offset all electricity through renewable energy investment, operators confirm backing.
Australia's new AI standards, to be drafted before year's end, will require newly built data centres to offset 100 percent of their electricity consumption with renewable energy investment. Data centre operators told a parliamentary inquiry on Thursday they support the rule, but it needs careful management to work.
Renewable energy projects must be built as fast as data centres can rise. If not, capital will move elsewhere.
Data centres are expected to use 10 percent of Australia's electricity by 2050. Today they use about two percent.
Operators said they pay their own energy costs. They receive no tax support.
- 10 percent
- Expected electricity use by 2050
- about 2 percent
- Current electricity use
- Belinda Dennett, Data Centres Australia
- Industry head
- end of year
- Standards deadline
Why it mattersAustralia risks losing data centre investment to faster-moving countries if renewable energy projects can't keep pace with new facilities.
AustraliaAustralia needs to speed up renewable energy projects to secure data centre investment and keep the sector competitive against other nations like South Korea and Singapore.
Corroborated byperthnow.com.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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