The AEMC, the rule-maker for the NEM, set out four recommendations, which were delivered to the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council on 28 July and published on 5 August.
The first requires data centres to offset their electricity consumption using certificates linked to new renewable energy generation through the existing Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) scheme, closing the loophole that would otherwise allow a data centre to purchase certificates from existing solar or wind assets without triggering new build.
The second requires data centres to contract for firming capacity alongside those certificates, addressing the risk that renewable energy certificates alone do not guarantee dispatchable supply.
The third requires data centres above a certain threshold to register as NEM market participants, giving AEMO real-time visibility of large inverter-based loads and the regulatory hook to enforce the firming obligation.
Meanwhile, the fourth supports demand flexibility and co-location of generation and storage through connection agreements.
