New Zealand’s Green Party has called for a one-year moratorium on new AI data center builds.

The party, which is currently in opposition and holds 15 seats in the country’s parliament, argued that the moratorium was needed to ensure that data centers “genuinely benefit New Zealanders and are not straining our resources.”

Its co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said: “If we are going to let these things be built, we should at least understand who is benefiting and ensure we protect our natural resources and communities. That’s why the Greens are calling for a one-year pause, to allow intentional regulation to be developed.

"Some may argue these AI data centers could build their own renewable energy, or that they’re increasingly using closed-loop water cooling systems. That may well be the case, but our current rules don’t require any of those things. New Zealanders haven’t even had the opportunity to discuss and decide whether they want them."

Swarbrick voiced concern about the consented Datagrid hyperscale AI data center in Southland, which is expected to have a capacity of 280MW, with construction slated to start sometime this year.

"The already consented Datagrid hyperscale AI data center in Southland is expected to use about six per cent of our country's total electricity supply, equivalent to the power used by more than 300,000 households," she said.

Swarbrick called for greater public scrutiny over new developments, with the one-year moratorium seen as an opportunity “to get this right,” she asserted. “This is not a ban on data infrastructure. It's a pause on the most resource-intensive developments while New Zealanders get a say on what conditions they should meet."

Swarbrick drew parallels with New York, which recently brought into force a one-year moratorium on all new hyperscale data centers to create new regulations to safeguard the grid.

"We need to write the rules before the concrete is poured," she said.

Data Center Map lists 62 data centers in operation and/or development across New Zealand, with most facilities centered around Auckland.

The Green Party has gathered more than 4,900 signatures for its petition to introduce a moratorium.