A New Brunswick member of Parliament is calling on the provincial government to reject a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Saint John, warning that it could overwhelm the power grid.
Conservative MP John Williamson says the proposed AI centre will trigger electricity rate hikes for ratepayers across New Brunswick.
Williamson says the public utility NB Power lacks the necessary capacity to handle the facility’s demand for 200 megawatts from the grid.
He laid out his opposition to Beacon Data Centers’ project in a letter to Liberal Premier Susan Holt.
The New Brunswick Southwest MP also criticized Holt for highlighting the data centre project at a major Toronto investment summit earlier this week, even though it hasn’t received provincial government approval.
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The New Brunswick government says any new data centre must pay for the costs it creates and cannot lead to higher electricity rates.
Beacon AI says its project requires 390 megawatts of energy and that it could produce up to 190 megawatts on site.
Williamson said the company wasn’t interested in generating all of its own power.
“I met with them and I raised this and they balked,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday, referencing a meeting he had with the company a several months ago.
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That’s why, he said, he wants the province “playing hardball” with companies that want to build data centres so that ratepayers are shielded from major price hikes.
If you build it they will come.
AI data centres are powered by gas burning turbines, and this one is no different. No SMRs, no renewables, just good old cost-saving turbines.
30 years of the government and eco organizations telling the world about climate change, but when $$$ and AI shows up the tune changes.
Let me know when rhe hypocrite puts down their devices and stops uploading things to the internet