Queensland and NT reject Labor’s push to ensure that power-hungry AI datacentres use renewable energy

Australia's booming AI datacenter industry is now pitting state governments against Canberra. Per The Guardian, Queensland and the Northern Territory have rejected the federal government's proposal to mandate that AI facilities run on renewable power, dismissing the plan as underdeveloped and a grab for central authority. Economic rating agency S&P Global warns that datacenter electricity demand could rise five-fold by twenty thirty-five, potentially accounting for ten percent of Australia's entire power consumption. The real risk: if datacenter expansion outpaces renewable energy project delivery, the energy crunch could send electricity bills skyrocketing across the country.

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