Ulrich Speidel: Auckland University computer science lecturer on the impact of Datagrid's South Island data centre getting a greenlight

A massive new power user could put extra pressure on the South Island’s electricity system.  Datagrid has just received resource consent for a $3 billion, 78 thousand square metre data centre north of Invercargill.  About 1,200 jobs will work on the construction and about 50 people will staff the facility.  It will be the second-largest power user in the country behind the nearby Tiwai Aluminium Smelter.  Auckland University computer science lecturer Ulrich Speidel told Mike Hosking it's going to shift the power balance in the South Island quite a bit.  He says in terms of power use, that’s about 70% of what Christchurch consumes, and you can’t just add major power users without eventually running into generation limits.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.