Australia Moves to Regulate 252 AI Datacentres as US-Fueled Backlash Spurs 3 Inquiries
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 26
Australia Moves to Regulate 252 AI Datacentres as US-Fueled Backlash Spurs 3 Inquiries
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 26
Summary
Canberra is drafting rules for how AI datacentres are built and how they use power and water, after protests, moratorium calls and three inquiries pushed the issue into a national debate.
Officials and industry leaders say opposition is being amplified by US social media, arguing Australia’s sector is smaller and more regulated—252 datacentres with 1.4 gigawatts of capacity versus about 5,400 in the US with 53.7 gigawatts.
The backlash has sharpened around giant proposed projects, including a 2.4-gigawatt site near Melbourne and a 2-gigawatt gas-powered centre in the Northern Territory, with critics warning of grid and water strain.
The federal government plans to bar gas-powered datacentres and require operators to add equivalent new renewable energy, but legislation is not expected until next year.
Andrew Charlton, the assistant technology minister, also warned that many facilities are US-owned and said Australia risks supplying land and electricity while much of AI’s economic value flows offshore.