Albanese seeks to quell datacentre disquiet as climate expert warns

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is attempting to address concerns from state premiers about new national datacentre regulations, particularly from conservative-led Queensland and the Northern Territory. He plans to introduce major legislation next year to govern AI datacentre development while ensuring economic benefits are distributed broadly and state-level rules are respected. This comes as energy forecasts predict a seven-fold increase in power demand from datacentres, prompting climate experts to emphasize the importance of establishing appropriate regulatory frameworks.