Alberta’s technology minister is set to hear from residents in the central region tonight on what they think of artificial intelligence data centres.
Nate Glubish is scheduled to be in Lacombe for the first in a series of town halls.
Glubish has spent years crafting an AI strategy and wooing investors to build enormous computing complexes — and the large power supplies they require — in the province.
But data centre development has been met with fierce pushback from some residents concerned about water use, pollution and the potential impact on electricity bills.
Some opponents say the government’s consultations, because they came after major approvals and announcements, are disingenuous.
Premier Danielle Smith promises the AI boom will generate billions in royalties and taxes, use limited amounts of water and lower electricity transmission costs.
Smith is set to join Glubish for a virtual town hall on data centre development Aug. 27.
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Two other in-person events are scheduled near other planned data centre projects.
On Thursday, Glubish is to host a town hall in Sturgeon County, north of Edmonton, followed by one Sept. 11 in Grande Prairie.
Sturgeon County is set to be the home of a $13-billion data centre complex from Meta, the tech titan behind Facebook and Instagram.
Smith has said Alberta’s grid operator would use surplus energy to power Meta’s centre until a new natural gas-fired plant, called the Greenlight Electricity Centre, starts powering it in 2030.
Hundreds of people gathered outside Sturgeon County’s office earlier this month to protest the Meta plant.
In the Municipal District of Greenview, near Grande Prairie, another AI industrial park is being proposed by O’Leary Digital Limited, led by celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary.
Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation has taken that potential development to court, arguing the First Nation wasn’t adequately consulted before the municipal district permitted the diversion of six billion litres of water per year.
Last week, a Court of King’s Bench justice dismissed an application from O’Leary Digital Limited to strike the First Nation’s application for a judicial review of the project’s water licence.
Some projects have hit other roadblocks.
Last week, the province’s utility commission denied an application to build a natural gas facility that would have powered a massive data centre complex in the small agricultural town of Olds, less than 100 kilometres from Lacombe.
The Alberta Utilities Commission said the natural gas plant project is too close to the surrounding community.
Last month, a rural municipality bordering Calgary voted to pause new data centre proposals, while the Rocky View County government works to pin down applicable rules.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our elected politicians cared about us?
I mean, they could care about our welfare today, and our future, too.
Wouldn’t that be nice?
But not Smith, and not Glubish.
Glubish is promoting the Data Centre idea just as if it were an oil well.
I agree with Peter and Eris. There are no outdated sources of information on these AI data centres. People who live near them encounter very loud noise, all day, and all night, as if they are living adjacent to an airport, where jets take off. Water consumption goes up, despite drought conditions which are at their worst. The gas power generator for the AI data centre in Alberta, will also use an immense amount of water. Wildlife will be put at risk. Power prices will soar. Very minimal employment will result. If these AI data centres are so wanted, why is there strong opposition to them almost everywhere? Why didn’t the UCP campaign on getting them? The UCP will act like they are listening to Albertans, but we know they have their minds made up beforehand. Much like the coal mines, and the provincial pension plan. Did the UCP ask Albertans if we wanted those things? Were they campaigning on them?
@ Jones…. Won’t fit. Might fit on your ego though… Lol
UCP: Any Questions?
Also UCP: F*ck your questions
280 data centers are being built in Texas this year. The European Union has nearly 2,800 data centers. But Canadians are afraid of building one or two. In the meantime the world is using AI for medical and pharmaceutical research, engineering, adaptive learning for children who have impairments, fraud detection, precision farming, etc.
Canadians are losers and always will be losers.
See Peter’s comment below,
Usual uceepu cart b4 the horse situation.
So let them build a one on top of Dee’s head then.
Peter,
I Agree!
Just because people do not understand a technology does not mean it is magic. I would say that most centres that exist, the majority of people do not even know they are there.
Town halls and panels are nothing more than smoke screens for the UCP government. They go ahead and do whatever they want, regardless of the feedback. I have absolutely ZERO trust in Danielle Smith and the UCP government. The only folks they listen too are the far, far right and the separatists.
The answer is no.
Nobody wants or needs one.
Daniel smith should be removed from office and be investigated for corruption and treason. Data centers will ruin Alberta
SIX BILLION LITRES OF WATER. For ONE plant; and just that plant, not the power plant that runs it. Cash rich and water poor is no way to go through life, son. @Dee Ironside – I guess it’s only noise pollution if it bothers humans? Also, emergency services may be DIVERTED to it in a forest fire, but that would never happen right?
Again, here come the stupid reasons to protest. Let me clarify for you.
You will not hear the natural gas generators. Yes, the diesel backups can be loud. As for the electrical grid, no real impact.
As for home value impact, no more than if a large warehouse was built.
Health and emergency services? Data Centres do not use those. They are electronic.
I am sure all these rubes would be more than then happy if something like an Amazon Fulfillment centre was being built.
I would say the charge to protest is being led by the same Dweebs that believed 5G was evil.
I have noticed that the misinformation on this matter seems to be coming from Academic types and IT software dweebs. These people really do not understand what or how these structures operate. I suggest you talk to Telecom people that construct these sites, and have been for decades.
These centres make noise and pollute the water. They also cause energy prices to skyrocket. Poilievre doesn’t care and wants hundreds of these data centres all over Canada.
While I have no need for these centers, many of the fears people have are from outdated sources.
I see. Ok. I understand. Aldnnzakmwndjzkan(2293672