NextDC chief endorses nuclear power for Australia as data centre investment ramps up
Politicians should consider the problems Australia will face in the next few decades rather than just the next few years, said Craig Scroggie.
The CEO of NextDC has called on Australia to embrace nuclear power — not just to fuel the AI boom but also to transition away from fossil fuels.
Speaking at Deloitte’s Fast 50 event on Thursday night, Craig Scroggie argued that nuclear power is a critical piece of the puzzle for growing Australia’s tech economy while meeting corporate climate commitments.
"If you're a public company like we are... you have shareholders, you have ESG obligations, and you need to be able to show a roadmap to a sustainable future," he said. "So I'm a big advocate for being able to replace legacy coal-fired power stations with existing nuclear technology and new future tech for nuclear."
As one of the country’s largest data centre operators, NextDC faces significant exposure to the risks of insufficient clean energy supply. The ongoing cloud migration continues to drive growth in the data centre sector, and with artificial intelligence expected to further spike demand in the coming years, securing reliable, low-carbon power is crucial. NextDC’s stock is up 25% over the past year.
