The Queensland premier says her government is keen to take over Copperstring, a 1000-kilometre, high voltage electricity transmission network in the northwest of the state.
The project seeks to connect the North West Minerals Province, its cities of Mount Isa and Cloncurry and its significant resource deposits to the national electricity grid.
Annastacia Palaszczuk says her government anticipates movement in the near future.
"I'm limited with what I can say as there are some commercial details happening at the moment but the state is looking at taking over Copperstring," the premier told reporters on Wednesday.
"My government is very keen to do that and that will be our next big significant project in this region. I'll have more to say about that in the coming months."
The project was given federal approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act in November after the Queensland Coordinator- General's approval of the project's environmental impact statement.
Its cost is estimated at $2.5 billion and forecasts an increase of critical mineral mining activity by $132.6 billion to 2050.
North Queensland's Clean Energy Hub pales in transmission capacity per gigawatt compared to other regions of Australia such as Gippsland, Darling Downs and Hunter Coast.
But it boasts enormous wind and solar capacities, according to data from the International Energy Agency.
Transmission limits can be amplified by the Copperstring project, providing greater energy options for mines in the minerals province.
Copperstring managing director Joseph O'Brien said the project can be shovel-ready imminently, and Traeger MP Robbie Katter called for the government to act swiftly.
"We want to see 2023 be a year of action and construction - not another year of plans," Mr Katter said.
"We need that transmission capacity to activate some of this mining activity to make sure that we've got that diversity and minerals."
Mr Katter said there was $750 billion worth of minerals "that we know of", and the North West Minerals Province could operate for the next 50 to 100 years.
"But it doesn't just happen, it takes people in government to represent the area and make sure that the infrastructure's in place to facilitate that."
