Australia Doubles Down on Data Centers Using Renewable Power

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomePMN BusinessAustralia Doubles Down on Data Centers Using Renewable PowerAustralia’s federal government will press on with a nationwide push to ensure new data centers use renewable energy, pledging to pass laws despite opposition to the move from some regional administrations.Author of the article: You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.(Bloomberg) — Australia’s federal government will press on with a nationwide push to ensure new data centers use renewable energy, pledging to pass laws despite opposition to the move from some regional administrations.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountPrime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the plan last month, with the federal government getting agreement from six of the eight state and territory governments. Despite the lack of unanimity, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said on Wednesday he would be looking to pass laws to enforce the requirement.“While I always prefer to work with my state and territory colleagues, the Commonwealth will not be standing by and letting a race to the bottom of states falling over themselves to attract data centers at the cost of household bills, reliability or emissions,” Bowen said, referring to the federal government.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAustralia is in the middle of a massive build-out of data centers, with huge new investments helping support the economy. However, like in the US and other countries, that boom is causing rising community concern about how they will be powered and where the water to cool them will come from.“We will use all the power available to the Commonwealth, including Commonwealth legislation, to ensure that Australian households and Australian energy reliability is put first, even if some states have different ideas,” Bowen said. States would not be able to water down the national standard, he added.The federal, state and territory energy ministers met virtually last month to discuss the initiative, when Queensland state and the Northern Territory opposed most measures, including the introduction of a national set of regulations, according to a federal government statement at the time.“We look forward to discussing the Queensland approach at National Cabinet,” state Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki said in a statement on Wednesday. “Queensland’s Energy Roadmap is delivering a market-led approach, and we will not force uneconomic investment into the system that will ultimately flow through to higher prices for households and businesses.”Australia is among a growing number of countries trying to regulate artificial intelligence without stifling innovation, while also ensuring adequate power supplies for the energy-hungry data centers that underpin the technology. Data centers use 2% of all national electricity consumption, according to the regulator, which forecasts that this will rise to 6% in 2030, according to Bowen. “Data centers are welcome if they bring their own additional renewable energy,” he said. Albanese will announce more details soon, but the federal government is already working on rules to ensure that the cost of connecting centers to the power grid will not be passed to households, Bowen said.“If you cause the cost, you’ll pay the cost,” he said, saying no other nation had ensured that households don’t pay the costs of new centers. Projects will be mandated to prove that they are fully offsetting their power use with renewable energy sources that might otherwise not have been built, Bowen said. This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. 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