We conduct public interest financial analysis on the most profound economic transformation since the industrial revolution: the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

Tim Buckley, CEO of Climate Energy Finance, says Australia should welcome data centre investment linked to AI and renewables, but […] Read more

Demand is expected to balloon from 1.35 gigawatts now to between 5-8 GW by 2035 on projections prepared in a Clean Energy Finance Corporation and Baringa report. New approvals should come with clear community benefits, Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley said. “After all, the data centres can only be built leveraging the existing publicly funded water and grid infrastructure we have all paid for,” Mr Buckley said. Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said data centres should be building new solar and wind capacity and have “flexibility and redundancy” built in to protect the network. Read more

The alliance notes that where data centre growth drives the need for new transmission, firming or network augmentation, those costs should not be socialised onto households and small businesses. “Data centre investment is red hot, so we expect our governments to ensure that giving approvals to new infrastructure projects comes with clear community benefits,” says Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley. “After all, the data centres can only be built leveraging the existing publicly funded water and grid infrastructure we have all paid for.” “Approvals should be conditional upon new long-term firmed renewables PPA as a pre-requisite.” Read more