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🇦🇺 Australia /Environment & Climate

Community 'devastated' by plans for gas-powered data centers

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • Residents in Australia's Southern Highlands are 'devastated' by plans for three new gas-fired power stations.
  • The stations, proposed by Sydney company Nakar Property, would power a data center campus and have a combined capacity of over 700 megawatts.
  • Concerns include health impacts from air particulate, locking in heavy industry, and greenhouse gas emissions, as the project faces court challenges and calls for renewable energy use.

Residents near Moss Vale in Australia's New South Wales Southern Highlands are expressing strong opposition and devastation over plans to build three large gas-fired power stations. The project, proposed by Sydney-based Nakar Property and its subsidiary Cloud Carrier, aims to generate over 700 megawatts of energy primarily to power a new data center campus.

People are really shocked that this is a private Sydney-based company that is building this gas plant solely to power their data campus.

— Heather ChampionA local councilor explains the community's surprise and concern regarding the gas plant's purpose.

More than 200 people gathered at the proposed site, voicing concerns about the potential health impacts of air particulate emissions and the long-term environmental consequences. Councillor Heather Champion, who organized a protest, highlighted the community's shock that a private company would build a gas plant solely for its data operations. Worries also center on the project potentially locking the region into heavy industry and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, contradicting global shifts towards cleaner energy.

I'm devastated that this is even possible.

— Nathalie SwainstonA local resident expresses her dismay at the proposed gas plant development.

Nakar Property declined to comment as one of the smaller gas plants is under judicial review in the Land and Environment Court. The company has previously stated that emissions would be treated to remain well below state environmental limits. They also defended submitting separate applications for different project components, citing the evolving energy demands of AI computing.

If they approve this, everyone will be affected because we're setting a precedent about how things are going to be fuelled.

— Kirstine McKayA clean-energy advocate warns about the implications of the project for future energy infrastructure.

Local resident Nathalie Swainston conveyed her deep concern about the use of fossil fuels for data centers, stating her devastation that such a project is even possible. Kirstine McKay, from the clean-energy group Win Zero, warned that approving this development could set a dangerous precedent for how future data centers across New South Wales and potentially the country are powered. She stressed the urgent need for clear government parameters mandating that data centers run entirely on renewable energy.

It's really important that the government sets very clear parameters … we need to say that [data centres] need to be 100 per cent run on renewable energy.

— Kirstine McKayMcKay emphasizes the need for government regulation to ensure data centers utilize renewable energy sources.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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