Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy
The Australian federal government is pushing to mandate renewable energy usage for AI datacentres despite resistance from Queensland and the Northern Territory. Officials are concerned that the rapid growth of datacentres could lead to significant energy price spikes for consumers.
Why it matters
As AI infrastructure expands globally, balancing the massive energy demands of datacentres with national climate goals and consumer affordability has become a critical policy challenge.
Labor says it will forge on with its plans to place energy and water usage rules on datacentres – despite the objections of Queensland and the NT. Labor says it will forge on with its plans to place energy and water usage rules on datacentres – despite the objections of Queensland and the NT. Datacentres Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy Federal-state stoush comes as rating agency warns that electricity bills could skyrocket
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Prefer the Guardian on Google Queensland and the Northern Territory have rejected the federal government’s plans to mandate that AI datacentres use renewable power, rubbishing Anthony Albanese’s proposals to regulate the booming technology as “underdeveloped ideas that hand increased power to Canberra”.
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