Prime Minister Albanese said federal and state leaders, including previously
dissenting Queensland, have agreed to advance national rules on AI data-centres'
energy use, targeting issuance next year. The national cabinet approved minimum
requirements for data centres on electricity, water and land use; the government
plans to draft regulations by year-end and legislate them in early 2027. The
original proposal would have required high-power data centres to use renewables;
Queensland and the Northern Territory had opposed that, citing greater federal
control and potential investment impact, but Queensland has since agreed.
