The National Party has unveiled a South Island growth package that includes a significant requirement for new data centre projects. Under the proposed policy, any new data centre built would need to be accompanied by the development of new, firm electricity generation capacity. This goes beyond current market trends linking data centres to renewable energy sources like wind and solar, by demanding guaranteed, reliable power. The party aims to ensure the South Island’s electricity grid can support increased demand from these energy-intensive facilities. This policy seeks to underpin further economic development in the region. Details on how “firm” generation will be defined and implemented haven't been fully outlined. The announcement signals a proactive approach to managing the energy impact of growing data centre infrastructure.