Data centre developers have flooded Endeavour Energy, the poles and wires company serving Sydney’s sprawling western suburbs, with requests for connections that would more than triple demand for power in the area.
Technology giants including Microsoft have already begun considering nuclear power as one alternative energy source, with data centre customers often demanding they meet stringent environmental standards. NextDC, the largest ASX-listed data centre, last week said that nuclear energy should be considered as part of the solution.
Ryan Lance, the global chief executive oil and gas giant ConocoPhillips, said the huge electricity needs of data centres and AI – combined with the broader electrification of business and transport – would be met in part by gas.