Anthony Albanese says AI datacentres must "put at least as much energy into our grid as they take out of it"

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has proposed requiring new AI datacentres to add renewable energy to the power grid equal to what they draw, part of a broader federal plan to regulate the industry’s energy and water use. The Labor government wants binding standards on location, efficiency, and emissions, but Queensland and the Northern Territory have rejected the proposals, calling them underdeveloped and a federal overreach. Energy ministers discussed the issue Tuesday, with only those two states opposed. A recent S&P Global report warns datacentre electricity demand could quintuple by 2035, reaching 10% of Australia’s total consumption, and that mismatched delivery timelines for datacentres and renewable projects risk raising consumer prices. The federal government says it will continue developing nationally consistent rules despite the opposition.