19 July 2026

Marcus
[FYI request #34968 email]

031-2026 EGOIA

Dear Marcus

Thank  you  for  your  email  of  25  June  2026  to  my  Office  requesting,  under  the  Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act), the following information:
“I would like to request a copy of the following briefings received in your capacity as
Minister for Economic Growth during May 2026:

- BRIEFING-REQ-0031980 Decisions to operationalise ‘Scout’ and next steps
- BRIEFING-REQ-0032245 Meeting with Microsoft, Friday 8 May 2026
- BRIEFING-REQ-0032237 Data centre investment in New Zealand.”

I have identified three documents that fall within the scope of your request as outlined in the
table below, along with my decision on their release.

Document table
#
Date
Description/Title
Withholding
grounds
BRIEFING-REQ-0031980 Decisions to operationalise
1
5 May 2026
s 9(2)(a)
‘Scout’ and next steps
BRIEFING-REQ-0032245 Meeting with Microsoft, Friday 8
s 9(2)(a) and
2
8 May 2026  May 2026
s 9(2)(f)(iv)
s 9(2)(a),
12 May
BRIEFING-REQ-0032237 Data centre investment in New
3
s 9(2)(ba)(i) and
2026
Zealand
s 9(2)(f)(iv)

Copies of these documents are released to you and enclosed with this response. Please note
that some information in these documents has been withheld under the following sections of
the Act:
•  9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural
persons;
•  9(2)(ba)(i),  to  protect  information  which  is  subject  to  an  obligation  of  confidence  or
which any person has been or could be compel ed to provide under the authority of
any  enactment,  where  the  making  available  of  the  information  would  be  likely  to

prejudice the supply of similar information, or information from the same source, and it
is in the public interest that such information should continue to be supplied; and
• 9(2)(f)(iv), to maintain the constitutional conventions for the time being which protect
the confidentiality of advice tendered by Ministers of the Crown and officials.
I do not consider that the withholding of this information is outweighed by public interest
considerations in making the information available.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.

Yours sincerely

Hon Nicola Wil is
Minister for Economic Growth

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Information
Official
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BRIEFING
Decisions to operationalise ‘Scout’ and next steps
Date:
5 May 2026
Priority:
Medium
Security
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Tracking
REQ-0031980
classification:
number:
Purpose
This paper seeks your final policy decisions required to operationalise the Scout Programme to
coincide with Budget 2026 announcements.
Recommended action
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recommends that you:
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a
Note that decisions are needed from you to support the operationalisation of the Scout
Programme which is also part of the wider Startup Support Package to be an
Act  nounced
through Budget 2026.
Noted
b
Agree for New Zealand Growth Capital Partners to invest a minimum of $1 mil ion per year
and a maximum of $2 mil ion per year into the Scout Programme.
Information
Agree / Disagree
c
Agree to a fiscally neutral increase to the Aspire Investment cap from $12 mil ion to $14
mil ion per year to enable New Zealand Growth Capital Partners to run the Scout
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Programme.
the
Agree / Disagree
d
Agree to a maximum investment of $100,000 per startup from the Scout Programme.
under
Agree / Disagree
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Lily Li
Hon Nicola Wil is
Manager, Investment Policy
Minister for Economic Growth
Technology and Innovation, MBIE
05 / 05 / 2026
..... / ...... / ......
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7.
Establishing a minimum and maximum annual investment level provides NZGCP with
flexibility to respond to variable pre-seed deal flow while ensuring the programme remains
targeted. The proposed $1-$2 mil ion range reflects an appropriate pilot size that limits risk
while enabling the programme to have a meaningful impact.
Decision 2: Increase Aspire’s annual investment cap to $14 million from $12 million
8.
On 20 March 2026, officials advised that they would provide further advice on a potential
increase to Aspire’s annual investment cap to support operationalising Scout [Briefing REQ-
0029514 refers]. Increasing the cap to $14 mil ion per year would enable NZGCP to invest up
to $2 mil ion annually through Scout while preserving Aspire’s existing investment activity.
Retaining the current $12 mil ion cap would require Scout investments to be accommodated
within existing settings, constraining Aspire’s existing investment activity and creating trade-
offs.
Decision 3: Allow for a maximum single investment from the Scout programme of
$100,000 in a single startup
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9.
Scout is designed to address a gap in very early-stage funding, where startups require small
amounts of capital to test ideas and reach initial milestones. Consistent with this purpose,
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officials recommend setting a maximum investment of $100,000 per startup for the Scout
Programme. This cap keeps Scout focused on first or early investments, provides a clear
distinction from Aspire’s larger seed-stage role, and ensures the two programmes are
complementary rather than duplicative.
Next steps
Information
10.
Once you have decided upon the policy settings in this briefing, officials wil communicate
them to NZGCP, so their board can finalise the operational parameters for the Scout
Programme, ensuring it can be launched as soon as practicable once Budget 2026 has been
delivered.
Official
11.
MBIE officials wil work with your office on potential announcement opportunities for the
Startup Support package.
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National
• As government and businesses adopt AI and cloud-based services, secure
security,
and resilient data systems are becoming increasingly important to economic
supply chains
growth, public trust and continuity of services. New Zealand’s Digitising
and data
Government Programme and Digital Government Target State are focused
resilience
on more coordinated digital investment, shared digital infrastructure and
improved digital services.
• From Microsoft’s perspective, what are Indo-Pacific governments doing to
strengthen the resilience and security of their data architecture, supply
chains and cloud infrastructure as AI adoption increases?
Supporting Notes
Event information
1. Microsoft has requested a short bilateral meeting to discuss your priorities on economic
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growth and to provide a briefing from Mike Yeh on AI, hyperscale infrastructure (massive,
highly scalable and modular computing environments designed for vast data processing and
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storage), how governments in the Indo-Pacific are deploying AI, the link between AI and
economic growth, and areas of potential economic opportunity for New Zealand, including
data centres, regulatory settings, energy settings, and the pace of public-sector AI adoption.
2. Microsoft has also indicated that the discussion could cover national security elements,
supply chains, and resilience of data architecture.
Background
Information
3. Microsoft requested this meeting after your recent opening remarks at an American
Chamber of Commerce event sponsored by Microsoft.
4. The meeting is positioned as an informal opportunity for discussion rather than a decision-
making forum.
Official
Current government work programme: AI and digital transformation
the
AI strategy and responsible adoption
5. In July 2025, the Government released New Zealand’s first AI strategy: Investing with
under
confidence. The strategy focuses on accelerating private-sector AI adoption, with the aim of
supporting productivity and economic growth.
6. The Government has described its role as reducing barriers, providing clear regulatory
guidance, and promoting responsible AI adoption. The strategy takes a light-touch,
principles-based approach and is intended to give businesses confidence to invest in AI.
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7. Alongside the strategy, the Government released a companion document, Responsible AI
Guidance for Businesses. The guidance is a voluntary, practical resource to support
businesses to use, develop and innovate with AI in a trustworthy way.
Public service AI adoption
8. The Government Chief Digital Officer leads work on the safe and trustworthy adoption and
use of AI in the public service. From 1 April 2026, Government Chief Digital Office functions
are operated from the Government Digital Delivery Agency within the Public Service
Commission. This includes providing guidance for agencies on using generative AI in ways
that are safe, transparent and responsible.
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9. The Public Service AI Framework sets out a vision for AI in the public service: adopt AI
responsibly to modernise public services and deliver better outcomes for all New
Zealanders.,
10. The intended outcome of the framework is that the public service models best practice in AI
use, while enabling and contributing to the wider community and economy in line with New
Zealand’s position as a trusted global partner.
Digitising government
11. The Digitising Government Programme is seeking to implement a more centralised and
coordinated approach to government digital investment, procurement and delivery. Its stated
objectives are to reduce costs and improve digital services for New Zealanders.
12. The Digital Government Target State sets the direction for improved government digital
services and aims to move the public sector operating model towards a more customer-
oriented approach. As of February 2026, the Target State includes shared digital public
infrastructure, common platforms and new ways for people and organisations to access
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connected government services.
13. This programme provides relevant context for Microsoft’s proposed discussion topics,
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including public-sector AI adoption, hyperscale infrastructure, data architecture, digital public
infrastructure, common platforms and digital resilience.
AI research and commercialisation
14. MBIE has also published information on the Artificial Intelligence Research Platform, a
government investment of up to $70 mil ion over seven years through the New Zealand
Information
Institute for Advanced Technology (NZIAT). The platform is intended to strengthen New
Zealand’s AI research capability and commercialisation, build domestic and international
connections, and support the creation of high-tech, knowledge-intensive firms.
Issues to be aware of
Official
15. Microsoft may be interested in how New Zealand’s AI Strategy and Responsible AI
Guidance are being implemented, particularly in relation to private-sector adoption and
the
investment confidence.
16. The discussion may touch on public-sector AI adoption. The Government Chief Digital
under
Officer leads work on safe and trustworthy AI adoption in the public service, including
guidance for generative AI use.
17. Microsoft may raise hyperscale infrastructure, data architecture and resilience. The Digitising
Government Programme and Digital Government Target State provide relevant context on
the Government’s move towards more coordinated digital investment, procurement, delivery
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and shared digital public infrastructure.
18. s 9(2)(f)(iv)
Annexes
Annex One: Biographies
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Annex One: Biographies
Mike Yeh – Vice-President and Deputy General Counsel,
Microsoft
Mike Yeh is Microsoft’s Vice-President and Deputy General
Counsel. He has responsibility for Microsoft’s government
engagement in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on public sector,
national security, and resilience across markets including
Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia.
He joined Microsoft in 2003 and has led legal and corporate
teams across Seattle, Beijing, Dubai, and Singapore.
Lewis Mills – Director, Corporate Affairs New Zealand,
Microsoft
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Lewis Mil s is Microsoft’s Director of Corporate Affairs in New
Zealand. He works on corporate affairs, government
engagement, trust and security issues, and technology
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regulation. He has previously held senior corporate affairs roles
at Uber and Microsoft and has advised local technology
companies on regulation and reputation matters. He is a lawyer
by background, with experience in Crown prosecution,
regulatory law, public sector legal work, and as a judge’s clerk
in The Hague.
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grid capacity, subsea cable connectivity and natural cooling. These regions include the
central North Island, Taranaki and the South Island. Invest NZ is supporting Datagrid’s
project in Southland, which combines data centre development and subsea cable
infrastructure with new renewable energy generation.
9.
A February 2026 Boston Consulting Group report, Data Centres as Strategic Infrastructure:
Unlocking Value for NZ Inc, estimates that positioning New Zealand as a preferred data
centre destination could unlock up to $70 bil ion of economic activity over the next decade.
This includes construction and operation of large-scale data centres, matched renewable
energy generation, IT equipment and broader supply chain activity.1
10.  The report also highlights New Zealand’s relative advantages, including a cooler climate that
improves energy efficiency. For example, Microsoft’s Auckland data centre targets a Power
Usage Effectiveness of 1.12, placing it among the most efficient in Microsoft’s global
network. New Zealand’s renewable energy profile is also a significant competitive
differentiator from other markets.
11.  Global demand remains strong. McKinsey forecasts US$6.7 tril ion of global data‑centre
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investment over the next five years. Hyperscale operators increasingly seek jurisdictions that
can provide large electricity connections within short timeframes and offer political stability
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and strong data protections. New Zealand is an attractive place to invest in times of geo-
political instability, assisted by our national security profile, low levels of corruption and
intrusion, and effective safeguards for the rights of individuals and data usage.
Economic benefits of data centres
Information
Access to data infrastructure is important for economic security
12.  Having some data infrastructure located in New Zealand is important from an economic
security point of view. Data centres enable a wide range of activity including essential
government services (e.g. healthcare, transport, education, emergency services), online
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banking, e-commerce and AI innovation. In this way, data centres (as well as other critical
software services) can be seen as critical infrastructure to support economic growth. It is
desirable to have some of this located i
the n New Zealand, reducing New Zealand's dependence
on offshore computing for critical government and economic functions.
But data centres are enablers, not automatic growth engines
under
13.  Data centres can be viewed as a utility that enables economic activity – they are not, on their
own, major drivers of productivity growth. The direct benefit from data centres comes from
the initial construction, but they generate limited ongoing employment and economic output
once operational. For example, Datagrid’s proposed $3.5 bil ion AI facility in Southland is
expected to create around 1,500 construction jobs but only around 50 permanent roles once
operational.
Released
14.  MBIE’s view is that the economic benefits of data centre investment depend less on the
infrastructure itself and more on whether it is associated with activities that generate
spillovers. The focus for investment attraction should be on projects that are more likely to
enable productivity-enhancing activity, rather than on data centre infrastructure per se.

1 Note that this report does not include a counter factual analysis of alternative uses of skil s, land and
electricity.

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Long-term productivity gains depend on spil overs rather than the direct activity of
data centres themselves
15.  Long-term economic benefits from data centres are more likely to be realised if they are part
of a broader strategy for fostering innovation and developing the digital ecosystem. For
example, spil overs wil  be strongest when:
•
data centres sit alongside activities that use, build or enhance digital capability (e.g. AI
and software development, cloud services, tech sector clusters)
•
there is a deep local skil s ecosystem (i.e. skil ed ICT workers and training pipelines)
•
data centres support innovation (e.g. AI research and application, research
partnerships, the startup ecosystem).
16.  Where data centres operate as isolated facilities, these benefits are unlikely to be realised.
Therefore, parallel investment in innovation, skil s and digital adoption is likely needed to
capture the economic benefits from data centre proximity. For example, Microsoft’s recent
investment in a data centre in Auckland included a commitment to partner with educational
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services to upskil  100,000 New Zealanders over two years.
Impacts on the electricity market also need to be considered  Act
17.  Growth in demand for electricity from new large data centres could place pressure on the
electricity system if not matched with timely investment in generation and network capacity.
In general, a step-change increase in electricity supply that is not matched by an increase in
generation capacity could increase electricity prices for other electricity-intensive activities,
including the electrification of transport and industrial processes that also represent
opportunities for economic growth.
Information
18.  At the same time, large and predictable data centre demand for electricity can help bring
forward new generation investment by underwriting or improving the commercial viability of
new generation projects. There may also be scope for some data centre investments to
participate in demand-response arrangements that
Official  reduce electricity demand at times of
electricity system stress. In this way, growth in data centres could support growth in the
capacity and flexibility of the power sector, reducing proportionately the risk of dry years and
the
renewable intermit ency.
19.  Microsoft’s Auckland data centre investment provides an example of this dynamic. In 2022,
Microsoft paid Contact Energy $300 mil ion to support the development of the Te Huka Unit 3
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geothermal power station, alongside a contract to buy renewable energy over the next 10
years. This added new renewable generation to the grid and reduced the likelihood that the
data centre load would place upward pressure on electricity prices for other users.
20.  However, international experience suggests that the pace of demand growth is critical. In
Ireland, data centres now account for over 20 per cent of national electricity demand, with
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rapid growth creating challenges for grid capacity and system planning. Data centre
development in Ireland recently stalled with the electricity regulator effectively placing a
moratorium on additional data centre grid connections in 2021 pending development of
policies and processes to address emerging risks to grid stability.2
21.  A similar rapid increase in the scale of data centres in New Zealand could pose risks if
generation and network investment did not keep pace – exceeding the pace already
underway and planned to meet growing electricity demand from electrification of transport
and heat in the coming decades. New Zealand has a strong pipeline of renewable generation
development options, which suggests the pace of generation investment is limited only by
the available planning and construction resources and processes.

2 KPMG, 11 February 2026, Ireland’s data centre policy reset - Europe's digital infrastructure

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22.  Overall, data centres are more likely to deliver net economic benefits where their large
electricity demand is managed in a way that supports the broader system. This includes
enabling or co-financing new renewable generation and locating in regions with sufficient
network capacity or funding the network upgrades they require rather than shifting the costs
onto other network users. New Zealand’s market-led generation investment planning and
cost-reflective network pricing should, in principle, promote efficient coordination of data
centre and electricity sector investment. Transpower and the Electricity Authority wil  need to
monitor and respond to any grid stability risks like those being addressed in Ireland.
How data centre investment could be used to shape broader
growth and sector outcomes
23.  Data centre investment presents an opportunity for you to signal how actively the
Government intends to shape industrial and growth outcomes. The extent to which data
centre investment delivers productivity gains depends on how deliberately the Government
seeks to capture wider economic spil overs and how closely agencies are expected to align
their actions with the Government’s sector priorities.
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24.  Under a strategic signalling, lighter‑touch approach, the Government would clearly articulate
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its priority sectors and growth strategy, s 9(2)(f)(iv)

and rely on Crown entities such as Invest NZ and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
(NZTE) to align their activities within existing mandates. This approach preserves agency
flexibility to respond to market‑led opportunities and reduces coordination and compliance
demands on Ministers and agencies. However, the extent to which data centre investment
translates into broader productivity gains may vary across sectors and agencies, as
spil overs are less likely to be actively coordinated. There is also limited leverage to ensure
Information
that complementary actions in areas such as skil s, innovation, and digital adoption occur
alongside infrastructure investment.
25.  Under a more active approach, the Government would take a clearer role in shaping how
data centre investment supports priority sectors by
Official  setting more explicit expectations of
agencies. This could increase the likelihood that investment in enabling infrastructure
translates into national‑level productivity gains by encouraging coordinated action across
the
investment attraction, skil s development, innovation, and export support. Clearer signals
may also reduce fragmentation across agencies. However, this approach would require
greater Ministerial engagement and coordination effort, and carries some risk if market
conditions shift or if Government di
under  rection is perceived as overly prescriptive.
Next steps
26.  Of icials can discuss with you how data centre investment and enabling infrastructure could
be addressed, s 9(2)(f)(iv)

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27.  You may also wish to meet with Invest NZ and NZTE, along with the Minister for Trade and
Investment, to discuss how they are giving effect to the Government’s growth priorities,
including how they are coordinating investment attraction, skil s, and sector development
around enabling infrastructure such as data centres.
Annexes
Annex One: Examples of foreign investment in data centres

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Annex One: Examples of foreign investment in data centres
Microsoft (Auckland – operational)
1.  Microsoft opened its first hyperscale cloud region in Auckland in December 2024 and has
acquired additional land to enable future expansion. As is typical for hyperscale data centres,
ongoing operational employment is limited, but the construction phase generated temporary
employment and local procurement activity.
2.  The significance of the Microsoft investment lies primarily in its role as enabling infrastructure.
The local availability of hyperscale cloud services reduces latency, enables onshore data
residency, and supports compliance with New Zealand regulatory and security requirements. A
range of large New Zealand companies—including Fonterra, ASB, BNZ, ACC, Auckland
Transport, and The Warehouse Group—have migrated workloads to the local Microsoft Azure
region, supporting cloud-based modernisation of business processes, data analytics, and
digital service delivery.
3.  Microsoft’s electricity arrangements materially affect the net economic impact of the
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investment. The company entered into a 10-year renewable attributes agreement with Contact
Energy, which supported Contact’s construction of the 51.4 MW Te Huka 3 geothermal power
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station. This added renewable generation to the national grid and reduced the likelihood that
the data-centre load would place upward pressure on wholesale electricity prices for other
users.
4.  Microsoft has also paired its infrastructure investment with explicit “wrap-around” measures
aimed at increasing the likelihood of downstream productivity spil overs. The company has
committed to training 100,000 New Zealanders in digital and AI skil s by 2027, through free
Information
certifications and partnerships with education providers such as Te Pūkenga. Targeted
initiatives such as 10KWomen, which reached more than 10,700 women and girls by
September 2024, focus on improving participation among under-represented groups.
5.  Microsoft provides an example of how data centre investment can deliver stronger economic
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benefits where it is deliberate and coordinated. In this case, the greenfield data centre build
was accompanied by parallel initiatives in skil s development and capability building. This
the
matters because cloud and AI infrastructure delivers productivity gains only where local firms
and workers have the skil s and capacity to adopt these technologies effectively.
Canberra Data Centres (CDC) (Auckland – operational)
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6.  CDC, partly owned by New Zealand-based infrastructure investor Infratil, operates the largest
hyperscale data centre campuses in New Zealand, located in Auckland. Together, these
greenfield developments provide over 90 MW of operating capacity, with further expansion
planned. As with other hyperscale facilities, ongoing operational employment is limited, but
construction generated temporary jobs and local procurement activity.
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7.  The facilities support secure, onshore hosting of sensitive and compute-intensive workloads
that previously required offshore solutions, including government, science, and advanced
digital applications requiring high availability, data sovereignty, and regulatory compliance.
8.  A key downstream impact is NIWA’s national high-performance computing capability, which is
hosted across CDC’s Auckland data centres. In 2024, NIWA commissioned a NZ$20 million
next-generation supercomputer, the largest research computer in New Zealand, delivering 2.5–
3 times the performance of the previous system. It underpins weather and climate forecasting,
extreme-event modelling, and emissions analysis, il ustrating how data centre investment can
directly support public-interest science and resilience outcomes.
9.   CDC’s Auckland data centres are powered by renewable electricity and are net-zero carbon
certified. While CDC has not announced a dedicated generation project of the same scale as

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Microsoft’s, its model reinforces the importance of aligning large data centre loads with
renewable generation and grid planning to manage system-wide impacts.
10. CDC’s wider investment programme provides context for global scale. In 2026, CDC
announced a single data centre development in Australia exceeding 500 MW of contracted
capacity, the largest such project in Australasia. While offshore, this highlights the scale at
which global AI and cloud investment is now occurring and underscores the importance of
coordinated policy settings if New Zealand is to remain competitive for future large-scale
compute investment.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) (operational; hyperscale build did not proceed)
11. AWS launched a New Zealand cloud region providing local data residency and access to
global AWS services. However, AWS ultimately did not proceed with constructing new
hyperscale data-centre campuses in West Auckland. Instead, AWS delivers services using
leased capacity in existing colocation facilities. In 2025, Amazon recorded a loss of
approximately NZ$44.9 mil ion, associated with land and development costs for the abandoned
greenfield project, contributing to a reported pre-tax loss of around NZ$36 million for the
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New Zealand data-centre entity.
12. As a result, while New Zealand customers benefit from local cloud services, the w
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economic benefits associated with a greenfield hyperscale build, such as construction activity,
grid investment, and renewable generation additionality, did not materialise. Initial public
announcements associated with the planned AWS build referenced potential creation of up to
1,000 direct and indirect jobs and NZ$10.8 bil ion in GDP impact over 15 years, but none of the
construction-related activity proceeded.
13. Ongoing employment impacts are therefore limited, and there is no eviden
Information  ce of new,
investment-linked skil s or workforce programmes of comparable scale to those associated with
the Microsoft build. Factors influencing AWS’s decision included consenting complexity,
delivery risk, power availability, and commercial timing considerations. From a policy
perspective, this case il ustrates that cloud services can be delivered without local construction,
Official
but that the economic spil overs captured by New Zealand are correspondingly smaller.
Datagrid (proposed)
the
14. Datagrid New Zealand is proposing a large-scale, AI-focused hyperscale data centre campus
near Invercargil , with an estimated capital cost of approximately US$2 bil ion (around
NZ$3.5 bil ion). In March 2026, the pr
under  oject received resource consents for a 78,000 m² campus
with a staged build-out to around 280 MW of IT load, which would make it the largest single
electricity user in New Zealand once fully developed.
15. Construction is expected to generate over 1,200 jobs during the build phase, with ongoing
operational employment projected to be modest. The project is closely linked to enabling
infrastructure, including a dedicated high-voltage grid connection and the proposed Tasman
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Ring Network subsea cable. The cable would provide the South Island with its first direct
international fibre connection, with an estimated capacity of 540 Tbps, increasing national
connectivity diversity and resilience.
16. A key development affecting the project’s economic profile is Datagrid’s 15-year, 140 MW
Power Purchase Option Agreement with Mercury, equivalent to approximately 1.2 TWh per
year (around 3% of current national electricity demand). The agreement provides price
certainty for the project and is intended to support further renewable generation investment,
including geothermal, wind, and hydro upgrades, reportedly totalling over NZ$1 bil ion over
time. The University of Otago has been identified as an anchor tenant, indicating potential
linkages to research activity and advanced AI workloads.

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17. The potential economic benefits of the Datagrid project are therefore material but conditional. If
delivered as proposed, it could materially increase New Zealand’s compute capacity, support
advanced AI and research workloads, and anchor further investment in renewable energy and
digital connectivity. However, the scale of the electricity demand creates system-level risks. Net
economic benefits wil depend on whether new generation is delivered in step with demand,
whether grid upgrade costs are largely internalised, and whether domestic firms and institutions
have the skil s and capability to use the compute capacity.
The potential economic benefits of data centre investments sit on a spectrum
18. Microsoft represents a model where infrastructure investment is deliberately coupled with
renewable energy additionality, skil s development, and broad domestic uptake, increasing the
likelihood of long‑term productivity spil overs. AWS demonstrates that cloud services can be
delivered without new builds, but with correspondingly limited local economic impact. Datagrid
offers the prospect of large‑scale infrastructure and regional development, but with higher
delivery and system risks that wil require careful policy management.
under the Official Information Act 1982
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Document Outline