The carbon tax will add to the costs of technology, especially the operation of power-hungry data centres. Rather than invest in the upgrade of facilities to improve 'green' metrics and reduce power usage, it seems to me that users of inefficient computer facilities will take advantage of the many new commercial data centres being built or refreshed. Operators such as NEXT DC will benefit from new customers as a result of the carbon tax, as it pushes businesses to review their data centre strategy.
Upgrade or colocation? Capital investment or rent commercial data centre space? I think the cost-benefit analysis will be an interesting exercise, particularly when changes to the implied cost of carbon are factored in.
Marcus
