Australian Data Centres forced to generate more power than they use | Hacker News Reader

Australian Data Centres forced to generate more power than they use

afr.com

19 pointsroot-parent3 comments

I always wonder what the politicians are really thinking here.

Is Albo like "this is optics for the plebs, just a bit of window dressing bureaucracy on top of the normal market mechanisms where the data centre buying electricity will stimulate supply"

Or is he like "without these rules, data scenters will shoot themselves and the market in the foot and there won't be enough supply"?

I think it is for the more obvious reasons on the way big important business end of town (esp those which are new to Australia) would like to operate here in Australia. It's guardrails so:

  Non competition  for existing power and upwards pressure on pricing - thus avoiding additional cost of living for the general public.
  
  Discourage simply purchasing an existing power utility.
  
  Those investing for profit in these centres don't move to areas where transmission lines are already  near capacity with a buffer for the next couple of decades.

  Don't build the centre in a more rural setting (where there's water) with expectation above ground transmission lines will just have to happen, and expectation planning and land leases of nearby rural land to place the lines will just happen with minor cost to them but with no regard of the community which will just have to take those lumps.

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