• Terms of reference should include physical infrastructure that powers AI • Data centre boom can train electrical workers and build new energy generation
Friday 14 August 2026 – Australia’s first royal commission into artificial intelligence is an opportunity to address a national shortage of electrical workers that has existed since 1981 and is forecast to rapidly worsen as housing, infrastructure, energy and data centres drive demand for electrical skills.
The terms of reference should include not just AI products like Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, but also the infrastructure that powers them – data centres – which are rapidly expanding in Australia, the union for electrical workers has said.
Today one in ten Electrical Trades Union (ETU) members is working on data centre construction, up from zero in only a few years. Prior to the data centre boom the nation already faced a shortage of around 100,000 electrical workers by 2050, according to Jobs and Skills Australia.
With data centre construction set to expand significantly in coming years, the ETU and its South Australian affiliate branch the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) has called on the South Australian Government to provide terms of reference that include the use of data centre construction to accelerate Australia’s training of electrical workers.
The terms should also examine how data centres can contribute to Australia’s energy generation by adding new renewable energy rather than pushing up wholesale energy prices by bidding for existing power sources.
CEPU South Australia Secretary John Adley said data centre builds provided a unique training opportunity for badly-needed electrical skills.
“Data centres are the physical infrastructure powering AI, and they represent a major training opportunity for Australians who want rewarding, secure work in a electrical trades,” Mr Adley said.
“Australia has a shortage of 100,000 electrical workers by 2050, before you even factor in data centres and AI.
“We have no shortage of people who want to become electrical workers – there are 600 applicants for every advertised position.
“We need to make sure data centres create opportunities for young South Australians to get into our trades.
ETU National Secretary Michael Wright said the terms of the inquiry should examine how to ensure data centres create opportunities in both skills and energy transition.
“Data centre builds require large numbers of people with electrical skills. If they train new electrical workers they can add to the number of people building our way out of housing shortages and wiring our economy into the 21st Century.
“If they only syphon existing skilled workers away from other national priorities like housing and infrastructure, Australia is worse for their presence.
“In the energy space, data centres that add new renewable energy can accelerate the deployment of generation assets and play a positive role in energy transition. But if they just bid up power prices it will only hurt households and small businesses.
“The Royal Commission terms of reference should explicitly address how we use the data centre boom driving AI to give Australia the skills and power it needs to get ahead.”
