Does Australia have the energy and water to power the AI data centre boom? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 3, 2026 · 29 MIN

Does Australia have the energy and water to power the AI data centre boom?

from Download This Show · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The world's biggest tech companies are scoping Australia out as a data centre hub. As they see it, we have an abundance of space, electricity and water. But do we actually have enough?About 270 data centres have already been built in Australia, and there are a whole lot more on the way.The amount of electricity and water these massive buildings are projected to consume is staggering. We'll walk through the numbers this episode, and who is likely to end up footing the bill.The MIT Technology Review article Bronwyn referenced during the episode is here.GUESTS:Petra Stock, climate and environment reporter for The Guardian Australia.Bronwyn Cumbo, lecturer at University of Technology Sydney and transdisiciplinary social researcher. Her Conversation article is here.------------This episode was produced on the lands of the Burramattagal people.------------Get in touch:We'd love to hear from you! Email us at [email protected] all the episodes of Download This Show on the ABC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 3, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Does Australia have the energy and water to power the AI data centre boom?

0:00 29:04

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Download This Show?

This episode is 29 minutes long.

When was this Download This Show episode published?

This episode was published on April 3, 2026.

Can I download this Download This Show episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!