澳大利亚总理阿尔巴尼斯计划在国家内阁会议上推动建立全国统一的数据中心可再生能源强制规则[1]。根据该方案，大型数据中心需要抵消其电力使用，并投资建设新增可再生能源发电设施[1]。联邦政府、新州、维州、塔州、南澳州和澳大利亚首都地区已表示支持[1]，而昆士兰州和北领地州则持反对立场[1]。由于已获得多数州支持，该方案无需获得反对州的同意即可实施[1]。
数据中心产业正在澳大利亚快速发展。目前澳大利亚有162个运营数据中心，消耗东海岸总电力需求的约2%，预计到2050年将增至10%[1]。韦斯帕克分析数据显示，数据中心项目管道已达1550亿澳元[1]。澳大利亚储备银行首席经济学家莎拉·亨特表示，这一繁荣的规模令央行感到意外，其潜在影响可能超过2010年代初的矿业繁荣[1]。
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to advance a nationwide mandate requiring large data centres to power their operations with renewable energy, which he plans to introduce at next week's National Cabinet meeting.[1] The proposal would require major facilities to offset their electricity consumption and invest in new renewable energy generation capacity.[1]
A majority of energy and climate change ministers have already endorsed the concept of "mandatory data centre investment in new renewable energy generation to offset electricity demand," according to consensus reached at ministerial council level.[1] Six states and territories—New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, and the federal government—support the initiative.[1] However, Queensland and the Northern Territory have opposed the measure, advocating instead for "reliable and sustainable" power sources.[1]
The timing of this push reflects the rapid expansion of Australia's data centre sector. The nation currently operates 162 data centres that consume approximately 2 percent of total east coast electricity demand, a figure projected to reach 10 percent by 2050.[1] Project pipelines valued at $155 billion demonstrate the scale of planned expansion, according to analysis by Westpac.[1] Sarah Hunter, chief economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia, has indicated that the magnitude of the data centre boom has surprised central bank officials, potentially exceeding the scale of the mining boom that occurred in the early 2010s.[1]