Albanese seeks to quell datacentre disquiet as climate expert warns ‘we’ve got one shot to get the rules right’

Prime minister will use national cabinet meeting to assuage premiers over new AI law as Aemo forecasts seven-fold rise in datacentre power use Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese will seek to use Wednesday’s high-stakes talks with premiers to quell growing unhappiness about national controls on datacentre developments, promising new approval laws will complement state rules. Faced with growing opposition from conservative governments in Queensland and the Northern Territory, Albanese will tell national cabinet he plans a major piece of legislation next year to ensure the economic benefits of AI are shared widely. With potential to be one of the major reforms of Labor’s second term, the new law will set tough copyright rules for AI businesses and impose standards for security, safety and skills development. The meeting on Wednesday will come after the latest forecast from the Australian Energy Market Operator showing datacentre power use is projected to increase seven-fold over the next decade. The industry’s rapid growth, driven by increasing reliance on AI and cloud computing, rem