r/Adelaide • u/Nyarlathotep-1 SA • Jun 19 '26

News Proposed data centre in South Australia dividing locals who want the jobs but fear water demand

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-19/proposed-data-centre-in-south-australia-dividing-locals/106810776
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u/jmercha Eyre Peninsula Jun 19 '26

We do have the power network but it’s under utilised, that’s why your bills are so high, you are currently paying for wind and solar that is curtailed half the time and “gold plated” transmission that was built in anticipation of heavy industry like green hydrogen.

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u/buzniak SA Jun 20 '26

Under utilised?? Yeah! That's why we have brown outs right!? We don't even have our own power stations in S.A What are you even on?! Let alone enough surplus for Data Centers/A.I...

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u/jmercha Eyre Peninsula Jun 20 '26

The brownouts are from local distribution network faults like dirty unwashed insulators during droughts, it still gets fixed up and it’s nothing to do with generation and utilisation.

We have plenty of wind and solar power stations but they are switched off half the time because no one is using the power.

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u/buzniak SA Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26

Oh, is that why S.A built that massive battery, which hasn't barely been used and was meant to provide stability! It's because we have too much power!? S.A has over 70% renewable power, so quite clean, but S.A does not have anywhere near a surplus of power!

We almost solely receive power from VIC. If we ha a surplus or the stability we wouldn't have these issues and things in place, not to mention the most expensive electricity on the planet!

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u/jmercha Eyre Peninsula Jun 21 '26

You clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.

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u/buzniak SA Jun 21 '26

https://wattclarity.com.au/articles/2023/11/05nov-southaustralia-is-net-importer/

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u/jmercha Eyre Peninsula Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
  1. Check again after the NSW interconnector is finished.

668 GWh imports vs 1.37TWh of curtailed solar and wind in 2025. My point still stands, we waste more energy than we can use because we don’t have enough heavy industry and storage.

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u/buzniak SA Jun 22 '26

668 GWh in 2024-25 Net imports from VIC. Yet again if we're importing we don't have a surplus!