Data centres
Data centres vow to fund Australia’s renewables shift, not derail it
As data centres’ power demand continues to surge, tech giants argue their deep corporate pockets will be an asset for Australia’s green transition.
- Nick Toscano and David Swan
Latest
- Explainer
- National
Data centres power what we do online. So why all the controversy now?
You might never go inside one of these massive structures – but your digital presence has, probably hundreds of times a day. What goes on in a data centre?
- Angus Holland
Labor to force data centres to wind down energy use at peak times
As US states block data centre construction, Labor’s AI guru Andrew Charlton says Australia’s approach should be “neither boosterism nor alarmism”.
- Paul Sakkal
- Exclusive
- Science
‘We’ll miss the AI boom’: Nation’s top scientists warn of missed opportunity
As the nation grapples with how to extract economic uplift from AI investment, 640 of Australia’s top researchers have united.
- Paul Sakkal
- Exclusive
- Federal
Australia’s data centre explosion: Why the surge in NSW, Victoria is now eclipsing the mining boom
The rapid expansion in global data centres could be the single largest economic lift since the railroad construction boom of the 1880s and 1890s, surpassing even the mining explosion of the 2010s.
- Shane Wright
Data centre boom could send power prices 26 per cent higher: Climate group
As Victoria and NSW chase billions in data centre capital, a report warns households could foot the bill for a dirtier, costlier grid.
- David Swan and Nick Toscano
From corporate boxes to tech billionaires: Inside the Allan government’s data centre courtship
Whether it be schmoozing tech giants at the Australian Open or private meetings with leading AI figures, the state government has intensified its bid to attract global data centre players.
- Daniella White
- Exclusive
- Development
The data centre mega-hub being quietly mapped out in Melbourne’s west
The 350-hectare hub – the biggest ever publicly proposed in Australia – would need more power than the total output of Victoria’s largest coal-fired power station.
- Daniella White
Victoria’s data centre push could force state back onto gas-fired power
Surging electricity demands have raised questions about whether the state government’s planned renewable energy transition is compatible to its courting of global tech players.
- Daniella White
‘Significant win’: Helena Valley residents cheer power-down of $600m data centre plans
Community groups in the City of Swan are elated at news that plans for a data centre neighbouring the Helena River have been withdrawn.
- Indigo Lemay-Conway