No special carve-out for states using fossil fuel to power datacentres, Chris Bowen insists, despite new conditions

Chris Bowen, pictured, said the commonwealth would legislate nationally consistent datacentre standards and there would be no carve-out in the law for states using fossil fuel power. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/AAP

Chris Bowen insists federal Labor’s new national laws on datacentre power supply will not include carve-outs for Queensland and the Northern Territory, with states that are eager to use coal and gas required to make their case to the national regulator.

The energy minister told Guardian Australia on Friday the only concession agreed at Wednesday’s meeting of national cabinet was that existing coal and gas supply could be used on the condition it could be shown to be cheaper than renewables.