Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy
Summary
Queensland and the Northern Territory have rejected the federal Labor government’s plan that would require AI datacentres to use renewable energy. Despite this opposition, the federal government plans to continue creating nationwide rules that include renewable energy use and energy efficiency standards for datacentres.Key Facts
- The federal government wants AI datacentres to use renewable energy and improve energy efficiency.
- Queensland and the Northern Territory oppose the plan, calling it underdeveloped and giving too much power to Canberra.
- Other states support the plan, including rules that datacentres must cover their energy use with renewables and report emissions.
- Datacentres’ power use in Australia could rise five times by 2035, reaching 10% of the country’s total energy consumption.
- The government aims to prevent energy bills from rising due to new datacentres by possibly setting price protections.
- New rules could require datacentres to pay for their grid connections and add as much energy to the grid as they consume.
- Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen plans to share more details in upcoming national meetings.
- Australian public opinion is hesitant about adding new AI datacentres, according to a recent poll.
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