Data centres are power hungry – but they don’t have to be a burden on NZ’s grid

Getty Images The artificial intelligence boom is driving a global expansion in data centres – and with it, public debate over their heavy demand for power, water and land. Increasingly, governments are weighing their economic benefits against concerns about pressure on electricity grids, local communities and the environment. That debate has now reached Aotearoa New Zealand. Singapore-based Datagrid has secured approval for a NZ$3.5 billion, 280 megawatt (MW) AI data centre near…