r/technology • u/Wagamaga • Aug 26 '26
Energy Australian data centres will use seven times more power by 2036
https://thenextweb.com/news/australian-data-centres-power-aemo-forecast-203637
u/Simple_Assistance_77 Aug 26 '26
Yes as Australia runs out of water, pays more for electricity and gas. But hey Australians need to make more AI powered memes.
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u/PinkDinoClub Aug 26 '26
They can ignore the water use of AI, like they’ve been ignoring the water and land use of animal agriculture.
Difference is, virtue signallers will cry about AI and the environment on Reddit, whilst they won’t even mention how destructive animal agriculture is, when it’s far worse than AI.
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u/espersooty Aug 26 '26
like they’ve been ignoring the water and land use of animal agriculture.
As its entirely irrelevant but it seems you'd want to virtue signal on this matter which you've accused others of doing.
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u/PinkDinoClub Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26
Unlike 99% of you here, I don’t contribute to one the worst industries that is responsible for the largest biodiversity loss, water use, land use etc. It’s entirely relevant given their comment.
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u/espersooty Aug 27 '26
Its not relevant to the discussion, Overall water use within Agriculture is tiny given majority of it is from rainfall through naturally reoccurring sources in a full circle where as Datacenters, Its simply pulled from the environment and not returned.
I don’t contribute to one the worst industries that is responsible for the largest biodiversity loss, water use, land use etc.
That's fine, No one said you had to eat meat or any Animal AG product, People are free to choose what is best for them at the end of the day.
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u/PinkDinoClub Aug 27 '26
It’s entirely reductive to say “oh it’s just rain water”, acting as if the intensive use of water in animal agriculture isn’t an issue. It’s beyond asinine.
If this industry didn’t exist, that water that was being used wouldn’t be used and would have a huge benefit for the environment on the whole. Water doesn’t simply return to the cycle within a day, it takes years. That water would be able to build up in aquifers, lakes, etc.
An industry using 30%+ of the planets fresh water resources isn’t to be just palmed off the way you have.
And this isn’t even taking into account the wider ramifications on the environment, like land use, acidification, eutrophication, land use, biodiversity loss, etc.
You cannot sit here and cry about the impact of AI, and whilst sitting there using animal products. Unless you want to be a hypocrite.
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u/espersooty Aug 27 '26
Look, This isn't the subreddit for this type of chat and I honestly don't want to keep going.
Overall Livestock water usage is a circular system while Datacenters is simply a sink.
Unless you want to be a hypocrite.
You are free to your views but people need to eat and we aren't a society that can work with one diet type only.
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u/PinkDinoClub Aug 27 '26
Again, you’re being reductive and deflecting. Ofc you don’t want to keep going because you know your argument is in bad faith. It’s actually quite embarrassing how you’re trying to reduce this argument to what you’re stating. Do better.
Being circular means nothing, when it takes years to return to the cycle and in that time droughts occur. Which if it wasn’t for huge pressures like animal agriculture, those areas wouldn’t be in droughts in the first place.
Not to mention in areas where these droughts occur, farmers are having to buy in extra feed from other areas or countries which require irrigation, or using further irrigation to grow feed - further compounding the issue.
“People need to eat” - yeah, people can eat a plant based diet. You’re not living in a tribe, you’re living in modern society where you have access to a plethora of foods at the supermarket. But I’m sure you’ll come back with more strawman arguments, like it’s “too expensive” - which it’s not.
Data centres have a tiny impact on the wider environment compared to animal agriculture. And it takes little effort for people to abstain from animal prospects, but like I said, 99% of you here do not care and are just virtue signalling on reddit.
There is a good reason why University’s like Oxford have stated that going vegan is the best thing we can do for the environment, after their comprehensive paper that was published a few years ago. As the impact of animal agriculture is massive.
But keep pretending you need to eat animals to survive, and hating on AI (deservedly) on Reddit.
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u/espersooty Aug 27 '26
Again, you’re being reductive and deflecting.
Again, Animal AG is a circular system while Datacenters are only a one way system. This isn't deflecting this is reality.
Being circular means nothing, when it takes years to return to the cycle and in that time droughts occur.
A circular system is pretty important and does mean something, In Agricultural systems every nutrient and resource plays a role in the circle which water is a common focus of that.
“People need to eat” - yeah, people can eat a plant based diet. You’re not living in a tribe, you’re living in modern society where you have access to a plethora of foods at the supermarket. But I’m sure you’ll come back with more strawman arguments, like it’s “too expensive” - which it’s not.
Not everyone can eat the same diet despite your attempts to make it seem that way, Variety in diets never hurt but you'll continue to present strawman arguments like "plant based" diet which hasn't been shown to be very beneficial.
There is a good reason why University’s like Oxford have stated that going vegan is the best thing we can do for the environment, after their comprehensive paper that was published a few years ago. As the impact of animal agriculture is massive.
They are free to their opinions at the end of the day, Quite a lot of those studies lack basic understanding of matters of which they are talking about, Agriculture being a major one of them.
But keep pretending you need to eat animals to survive, and hating on AI (deservedly) on Reddit.
I am not pretending anything, I choose to eat what I eat because its beneficial for me similarly you eat what you eat because its beneficial for yourself. We both make choices that are best for ourselves so its best not to create strawman arguments to justify your dietary choices to others.
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u/PinkDinoClub Aug 27 '26
And please, seeing as you know so much about agriculture.
Take the time to critique this research paper that looks into the impact of our food systems, I would love to know your well educated thoughts.
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u/Ok-Corgi8 Aug 26 '26
How is this compatible with our climate targets when we need to transition our energy consumption to renewables..?
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u/guacamole-salad Aug 27 '26
Data centre operators will be required to invest in renewable energy generation. Although QLD is fighting this.
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u/Mr_master89 Aug 27 '26
As someone who lives in Qld, it's so dumb since we're hit one of the hardest by climate change but people keep trying to put in things to make it worse.
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u/Wagamaga Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Australian data centres will take 13% of the country’s main electricity market by 2035-36, up from 3% today. That is almost a sevenfold rise in a decade, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. Keira Wright reported the forecast for Bloomberg.
The figure lands in AEMO’s annual Electricity Statement of Opportunities. The document is the operator’s read on whether supply will meet demand across the National Electricity Market over the coming decade, and it is the one utilities and governments plan against.
The number Data centres will draw 34 terawatt hours a year from the National Electricity Market by 2035-36, on AEMO’s projection. The market operator published the forecast at a moment when the country is closing most of its old baseload.
Roughly 13 gigawatts of coal-fired plant will retire within the decade. Almost 2 gigawatts of gas generation will go with it.
Those two sets of numbers do not subtract from each other. The data centre forecast counts energy over a year, in terawatt hours. The retirements count capacity at a moment, in gigawatts. They describe different things.
“Data centers are particularly influential because they operate relatively consistently throughout the day and across seasons, similar to large industrial loads,” AEMO said in its report.
That flatness is the problem. A steady draw presses on the system during the hours when everyone else has switched off. Those are the hours when the grid runs thinnest.
Most large loads follow a pattern a planner can anticipate. Factories run shifts, households cook dinner, air conditioning tracks the weather. A rack of accelerators does none of that.
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u/40513786934 Aug 26 '26
13% of the country’s main electricity market by 2035-36, up from 3% today. That is almost a sevenfold rise in a decade
how is 3 x 7 = 13? or am i just bad at maths?
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u/mcncl Aug 26 '26
It likely assumes that the energy market itself will grow and thus it would be 13% of the future capacity, equaling a 7 fold of the usage of today’s capacity.
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u/SoulReddit13 Aug 27 '26
They used AI for the maths. They cite 34 terawatt which is 13% of the current market. So yeah it doesn't add up.
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u/Serious_Bite_7613 Aug 26 '26
Every anti-AI statistic falls apart if you put it under any scrutiny at all, it's just numbers pulled out the air about power and water.
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u/pHyR3 Aug 26 '26
or maybe overall power demand will be higher in 10 years time. crazy concept
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u/Serious_Bite_7613 Aug 26 '26
It's not worded that way though. Whoever wrote it has a terrible grasp of the english language.
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u/mr_flibble_oz Aug 27 '26
I can’t wait for higher electricity prices so AI can take my job. The future is bright!
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u/Greenscreener Aug 26 '26
Yes but the LNP chucklefucks in Qld have it all worked out using more FF and everything will be fine. Absolute fucking idiots...
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u/SoulReddit13 Aug 27 '26
Australia is in the middle of a battery boom to soak up all the extra solar power. This should help.
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u/magkruppe Aug 27 '26
If data centres are paying for all of that new renewable generation and transmission costs then I really don't care how much energy they use
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u/Amber_ACharles Aug 26 '26
Virginia's interconnection queue exceeds five years on an existing grid. Australia's replacing 13 GW of retiring coal while serving new data centre demand at the same time. Harder problem.
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u/AvailableReporter484 Aug 26 '26
If I know one thing about Australia it’s that it’s a place with so much water they can’t seem to give it away! 🤣
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u/Platypus_Dundee Aug 26 '26
Eneegies a problem but can probably be overcome with enough time.
Water for cooling, now water is going to be a massive issue.
I wonder if they can develop a system that uses sea water?
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u/NoMention696 Aug 27 '26
And what about water? How’s that gonna pan out next time there’s a wildfire
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u/righteousdonkey Aug 27 '26
Seems like complete bs, the numbers are inflated and power costs and demand will likely go down. When you consider the power required for a human brain is magnitudes smaller; we have a shit ton of optimisation room.
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u/lodemeup Aug 26 '26
I have huge doubts that this industry will be growing that fast that long. It’s running off hopes and dreams and funded by an infinite circle-jerk of funding already.