Bendigo Data Centre Costs Surge in 2026

Bendigo data centre operators report power bills up 22 percent since January, forcing several projects on the city’s eastern fringe to delay equipment orders.

The national push for artificial intelligence capacity has collided with local grid constraints and higher wholesale electricity rates that took effect on 1 July. Bendigo firms now face the same cost pressures flagged in recent federal energy forecasts, where data facilities are projected to consume an extra 8 percent of Victoria’s peak load by December.

Local sites feel the squeeze

Construction crews at the new facility on Edwards Road in Bendigo East have postponed the second server hall until early 2027 after transformer deliveries slipped six weeks. Across town, the innovation tenants at the View Street hub run by Greater Bendigo City Council have been told their backup power contracts will rise again in September.

Both sites rely on the same Calder Highway substation that the Australian Energy Market Operator flagged for upgrades in its 2025 annual report. Local managers say they cannot secure firm delivery dates for the new switchgear until the authority completes its review in October.

Numbers and next steps

Industry data released last month showed average Bendigo commercial power rates at 14.8 cents per kilowatt hour, compared with 11.9 cents twelve months earlier. Operators who signed fixed-price deals expiring before December now face spot-market exposure that has already added $180,000 a month to one 5-megawatt hall.

Companies are being advised to submit grid-connection applications before the end of August to lock in current queue positions. The council’s economic development team is running a briefing at the Bendigo Town Hall on 22 July for any business still waiting on approvals.