Glubish defends data centre attraction at skeptical town halls

Representatives of the provincial government were met with boos, jeers, and profanity at the first two of four town halls about AI data centres. Many attendees at the Aug. 20 meeting — in Sturgeon County, where Meta has proposed a $13-billion data centre and accompanying $4.6-billion power plant — told Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish that they oppose data centres in the region due to concerns about depleting water, land, and electricity.

Amid expletives and heckles, Glubish defended the projects, saying they will provide jobs and be regulated to ensure they don't have a negative impact on the environment. "All I can offer is that I'm going to do the best of my ability to ensure that any development in data centres is done responsibly," said Glubish, who is the MLA for Strathcona-Sherwood Park. "I care deeply about this province." Not every attendee at the town halls has opposed data centres — Ponoka resident Craig Paterson told CBC News he was on the fence when he attended the town hall in that community. "On one hand, data centres can be a great asset," he said. "However, I'm concerned about the impact on water, power, and the overall quality of life in surrounding areas." Mark Plamondon, executive director of Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, said the public pushback against AI data centres has been surprising, noting that up until now, there has been "very strong community support and social licence" for industrial development in the area.

The province has launched a website providing its answers to common questions about data centres. The website says companies are choosing Alberta because of its abundant energy supply, cooler climate, research depth and industrial muscle, and regulatory environment. It adds that the Meta data centre in Sturgeon County will deliver about $250 million annually in royalties, taxes, levies, and transmission fees. "Refusing to build (data centres) would not make AI go away. It would just mean the jobs, taxes and investment land somewhere else, while Albertans keep using digital services powered by someone else's economy," the website says. Premier Danielle Smith is set to participate in a virtual town hall scheduled for Aug. 27. Those interested in attending were required to register by Aug. 25.