The announcement of a $10-billion AI data centre in Point Tupper has brought a new focus to the region’s resources, and the Ecology Action Centre says there are still many important questions that need answers.
Thomas McNeil, Senior Energy Coordinator with the organization, says the technical briefing and announcement left the EAC with questions about the project’s potential impact on water users and power rates.
One of his concerns is the difference between the amount of water EverWind says it expects to use and what McNeil says the project is permitted to use. He argues that the public needs to understand what limits are actually enforceable, and adds the permit, as he understands it, allows significantly more water use.
EverWind says the project will use a closed-loop cooling system. Under its current design, the first phase is expected to use about 100,000 litres of water a day, increasing to about 500,000 litres at full 420-megawatt buildout. The company says most cooling will rely on air, with water-assisted cooling during the hottest weather.
Richmond’s Warden Lois Landry shares that the approval for water comes under the jurisdiction of the Landrie Lake Water Utiltiy and “If we set in writing the conditions and the amount of water that they can have and they exceed that, the regulations permit the suspension of that service.”
McNeil questions whether voluntary standards set by the Premier provide enough protection for water users and power rates, arguing that government needs to establish enforceable requirements for private companies using the province’s resources.
“If the government abdicates its responsibility to regulate these companies… then they are going to leave Nova Scotians at the mercy of American billionaires”, says McNeil.
The company is expected to begin community engagement sessions in the Point Tupper area in early November, providing an opportunity for residents to ask questions about water, energy and other aspects of the proposed development.
