Alberta NDP criticizes lack of regulation for data centres

NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has criticized the Alberta government’s approach to data centre proposals, describing the current lack of regulation as a “Wild West free-for-all.” During a town hall in Red Deer, Nenshi raised concerns regarding the massive resource requirements of these projects, noting that some could consume as much water as the City of Edmonton and as much electricity as 300,000 homes in Calgary.

Nenshi argued that these large-scale developments should be subject to environmental assessments. He noted that the Alberta government currently considers data centres and their accompanying power plants as established technology, exempting them from such assessments to reduce red tape.

In response to the criticism, Premier Danielle Smith has stated that Alberta’s data centres will be 100 per cent private projects. She emphasized that the province will provide no subsidies, grants, or taxpayer backstops, asserting that investors will bear the financial risks while Albertans share in the benefits if projects succeed.