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Pat Simons

@patsimons.bsky.social
2.8K followers 643 following 1.1K posts

Campaigns Coordinator for Yes2Renewables at FoE Australia bsky.app/profile/foe.org.au Climate jobs, energy democracy, punk & hip hop. he/him.

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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 20h
Public energy companies are emerging as key players in securing new renewable energy, with at least six new wind projects proceeding through public contracts in Vic, WA and Qld. The private sector in contrast has largely been refusing to back new generation. reneweconomy.com.au/australian-w...
reneweconomy.com.au
Australian wind farm starts hit record levels, but the technology is dead in the state that needs it most
Australia can now boast of record amounts of wind farm construction starts this year, but it remains at a standstill in the state that needs it most to replace ageing coal.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Firmus float delayed as data centre company cut it's initial share offering, a move that will shave $8 billion from its value. CEO Oliver Curtis went to jail for conspiracy to commit insider trading ten years back, I'm sure everythings fine... www.afr.com/companies/fi...
afr.com
Firmus float meets reality as sceptical investors force IPO rewrite
The neocloud hopeful had been hurtling toward a blockbuster Australian sharemarket float that was expected to value the company at more than $43 billion.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Trump has pressured a number of countries to pull support for a disinformation conference in Lithuania over a panel discussion naming the US as a disinfo actor in Europe. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
EU drops sponsorship of disinformation conference at Trump officials’ request
Lithuania and Canada were also pressured to withdraw, and days before #Disinfo2026, logos were wiped off website
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
So that horrendously racist ON campaign video...it also shows them blowing up a wind farm
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CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Next Monday, I'll be moderating a panel with Father Paolo Benanti — who served as the pope's AI advisor— La Trobe's PVC Prof Phil Laufenberg, ACU's PVC Prof Phil Parker and ACU Prof Niusha Shafiabady. It's at 5.30pm at ACU Melbourne, tix still available. acuevents.swoogo.com...
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
As the data centre industry expands, something the media needs to cover is who changes industries and why
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Why is OpenAI training its programs to hack Australian government websites?
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Hmm I'd interpret the change in polling more to Labour choosing a more competitive leader rather than a deficiency with Polanski, who has been a key factor in Burnham taking leadership.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Not a member of the greens btw or any political party
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
There's choosing the leader and there's how you choose the leader. Shoebridge is a sharp communicator and will take the fight to Labor. But the Greens have missed a bigger opportunity to empower grassroots membership in that decision.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
How is Polanski polarising? He has a transformative leadership style that brings people together across their differences
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Surprisingly, it needed more fish sauce
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
There are many of us that'll look at yet another interest rate rise and think fuck how the hell am I going to pay for XYZ... We should also ask who profits from this decision? Its banks and other lenders, wealthy individuals with big savings accounts, and investors.
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6 News Australia @6newsau.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
#BREAKING 🚨 Greg Hansford, One Nation's lead candidate for the Eastern Victoria Region at the November state election, has withdrawn for health reasons The party has told the Gippsland Times that he has a "serious health matter that requires ongoing treatment"
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Just added some fish sauce to my bolognese sauce...wish me luck
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Inflation is being driven by war, greedy corporations and climate change. But somehow it's regular people that need to pay through job losses, mortgage and rental stress. What looks sensible to the RBA is hubris on a society level www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Live: RBA hikes rates, pointing to Middle East war and AI boom
The RBA delivers its fourth rate hike for 2026, bringing interest rates to the highest level since November 2011. Follow the day's events and insights from our business reporters on the ABC News live ...
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Tell me you're out of touch without telling me you're out of touch www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
OpenAI breach proves need for more data centres, major parties say
Labor, Coalition agree OpenAI's Medicare breach proves the need for Australia to secure "a seat at the AI table" by rolling out data centres nationally.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Electricity demand from AI data centres is predicted to increase sevenfold. It's like suddenly adding 2 SAs worth of electricity demand to the grid. When we're supposed to be closely coal fired power stations... Dennett can claim it's just a US problem but Aus is completely unprepared for this.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
No surprises data centre lobbyist Belinda Dennett is talking down to protestors. Won't work. Backlash is increasing because ppl plainly see electricity prices + air pollution will go up, and it's being done *to* us by some of the wealthiest people on the planet www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Australian backlash to datacentres is faux import from US, officials say: ‘We are not the United States’
Pro-datacentre officials argue scale of Australia’s buildout is smaller, more regulated and less damaging than in US
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Front page of the age today.
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Mark Follman @markfollman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEWS: My new investigation uncovers the horrific ChatGPT history of the Tumbler Ridge school shooter. OpenAI’s chatbot fueled the shooter's violent fantasies and plans up to the day of the massacre. Chats about guns, timing of attacks, becoming infamous, and more. www.motherjones.com/media/2026/0...
motherjones.com
ChatGPT helped the Tumbler Ridge school shooter focus on guns, tactics, and terror, our investigation reveals
OpenAI’s chatbot fed the shooter’s violent fantasies and planning up to the massacre.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Love to see American corporations training their new hacking tool on our public healthcare system
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Albo is trying to sell the AI dream while simultaneously trying to restrain it...meekly. His main problem is that it's not even clear why we need this technology in the first place, or what public benefit or community benefit it provides, if any at all.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
*proceeds to roll out the red carpet www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
OpenAI agent hacked Medicare portal, PM says
Anthony Albanese says he has spoken to the Open AI chief executive to express his concern about the incident and the length of time it took the tech company to inform the government of the breach.
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Cam Walker @camwalker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
'The Coalition has vowed to detonate most of Australia’s efforts to decarbonise its economy “within 30 days” of winning power, incl slowing the advance of renewable energy, supporting nuclear power plants & scrapping the emissions-curbing industrial policy.' reneweconomy.com.au/coalition-vo...
reneweconomy.com.au
"Dumb and desperate:" Coalition panned after vowing to scrap renewable, EV and climate policies
Federal Coalition vows to detonate most of Australia's efforts to decarbonise "within 30 days" of winning power, including the advance of renewables and the emissions-curbing policy it introduced.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Angus Taylor introduced the offshore wind laws he now wants to repeal. Why would anyone trust a govt that backflips this easily?
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is a policy to push up power bills and pollution and take away consumer access to high quality EVs
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The Coalition says it wants cheaper power without the ideology...yet it wants to stop the cheapest source of new energy, renewables, and prop up expensive fossil fuels and even nuclear. Their policy is a recipe for expensive power and more pollution.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The community resistance to AI data centres continues to grow. A headlong rush to this industry places our energy, water and climate all at risk. That's why we're telling the senate we need a moratorium now!
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Well friends it turns out the "ban" is actually a setback distance of 150 metres from homes. So not really a ban after all. Dodgy framing! Communities not buying it and the resistance continues.
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Dylan McConnell @dylanjmcconnell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Just FYI - there is a cost curve for RE projects ( a fairly basic / uncontroversial point I think!) New loads (...looking at you data centers) necessarily push you along the cost curve. All else being equal, RE used for data centers means more expensive RE for everyone else. Not rocket science.
Wind cost curve  (for wind in different REZ's in the NEM, FY30), based on ISP input assumptions. 

Starts from just below $80/MWh on the left  to  more than $120/MWh on the right.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Victoria announces it will ban datacentres in residential areas and require them to source their own renewable energy. The community resistance to this risky industry is clearly having an impact. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Datacentres in Victoria to be banned in residential areas
New rules also include a ban near schools and childcare centres and require them to source their own renewable energy
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Rest in Peace Tim Read MP. It's rare to find politicians with his level of integrity and willingness to both fight the good fight and work with different parties to get real outcomes. You will be missed.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
This is why refusing to get AI pilled is important for the climate movement
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Tim Hollo @timhollo.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I keep hearing this idea that "I don't like AI, but maybe it can solve climate change" and I just... what? Surely there is nothing about "solving" climate change that needs more computing power or ideas. It's purely about the interaction of power structures and social realities. Can we not?
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Dylan McConnell @dylanjmcconnell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
"... the first stage of the project could be powered by gas, with three major gas power plants within two kilometres of the proposed site" www.smh.com.au/national/que...
smh.com.au
Anthropic inks deal for $32 billion mega data centre in Queensland
It is the first deal signed in Australia by the maker of Claude, which is hoping to publicly list the company with a valuation of $2.8 trillion.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The support acts pulling from Ed Sheeran's tour will take a bigger financial hit than Sheeran would if he used his platform to supoort justice for Palestine. What a coward. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore
Four openers and live band for Sheeran’s tour depart after removal of Macklemore over ‘free Palestine’ comments
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Royce Kurmelovs @roycerk2.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Compare these "free fire zones" to the mandatory consultation requirements applied to commercial wind and solar projects that force companies to consult within a similar radius.
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CAMERON WILSON @cameronwilson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
NEW: Dozens of AI data centre projects will escape Australia's proposed energy & water restrictions which aren't expected apply to green-lit projects. While the Prime Minister said they're "smaller", these projects are generally bigger and power hungrier www.abc.net.au/news/...
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Ironically, collectors will love this statement www.theguardian.com/music/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Tame Impala frontman announces he will no longer sign autographs due to ‘aggressive’ collectors
Australian musician Kevin Parker will also no longer take photos with fans at hotels and airports, claiming ‘autograph hounds’ using children to gain access
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Tim Stephens @proftimstephens.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
“The International Energy Agency estimates that data-center emissions could more than double by 2030—becoming one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gases in the world.” www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...
theatlantic.com
Inside the Dirty, Dystopian World of AI Data Centers
The race to power AI is already remaking the physical world.
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Climate Action Merribek @camerribek.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
The late John Englart was remembered yesterday in a moving and simple ceremony when his portrait was unveiled at Fawkner Community centre Maggie Cowling, who painted the portrait, explained what she had tried to achieve in the portrait, especially capturing John’s vision.
A painting of John Englart with his two chihuahas on the wall of Fawkner Community Centre. Beside the painting is the artist Maggie Cowling, gesturing towards the painting
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
D'Ambrosio says while there are many opportunities in AI, it risks many harms to people + workers, and governments need to get serious about regulating what is essentially an undemocratic industry run by tech billionaires
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"there's 2 in my electorate...Data centres are coming like a freight train" former Vic Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio says speaking at Red-Green Drinks
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bystander1.bsky.social @bystander1.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
"Energy giant AGL has warned that One Nation’s plan to force it to keep Victoria’s largest coal-fired power station open beyond its scheduled 2035 closure will increase operating costs and the risk of unplanned outages, which experts say will backfire on consumer bills."
theage.com.au
One Nation wants this coal plant kept open. Its owner warns that will spell trouble
Energy giant AGL says Pauline Hanson’s plan to keep Victoria’s largest coal-fired generator open beyond its 2035 closure will put power supplies at risk.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Great interview highlighting that many farmers see renewable energy as an opportunity to maintain their farming business and bring income into their region
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Jewish Council of Australia @jewishcouncilau.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Pro-Israel groups are pressuring governments & institutions to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which would prohibit legitimate criticism of Israel. We can’t let widespread adoption of this definition cement further censorship. Sign our petition: www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2026/08/dont...
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 02/09/2026
REALLY interesting study. Americans most alarmed about climate most strongly oppose data centres. Those most dismissive on climate have both *strong opposition* but also the *strongest support* for data centres (!!) climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications...
Survey stacked bars show majority opposition to local data centers among Alarmed (70%), Concerned (58%), and Dismissive (57%) groups; overall 56% of Americans oppose building data centers locally, with smaller shares expressing support.
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Pat Simons @patsimons.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Fears about the impacts of AI on people's working life now matches wage rises not keeping up with cost of living as one of the top concerns of working people www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
Populist One Nation’s latest victory points to a thirst for unity. But there are better ways to feel connected | Peter Lewis
When we last polled attitudes to membership, I argued the first act of resistance is to join something. Ten years on, that project is even more urgent
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Ben Eltham @beneltham.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Beetaloo basin gas tap turned on today … “Gas powered AI data centres are on the agenda” www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
abc.net.au
Fracked gas from Beetaloo Basin will flow to NT power grid from today
Gas fracked from the Beetaloo Basin is now flowing into the Northern Territory's power grid, with the CLP forecasting the project will generate billions in economic value. But environmental activists ...
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