DC DataCentreDebate.ca

Fine. Prove it.

What I would require before approval

My list is straightforward: publish the impacts, put the promised benefits in writing and post cleanup security before asking the public to trust the project.

Start here

A serious proponent should be able to answer these points in writing before approval.

ConditionWhat it means
Day-one power planShow supply, contracts, ramp schedule, grid impact, dedicated generation timing, and backup plan.
No hidden ratepayer costsPublicly disclose who pays for generation, wires, substations, interconnections, studies, and delays. If residential bills are expected to change, identify which charge changes, by how much, and why.
Power plant second-life planIf a project brings its own generation, disclose whether the plant can export to Alberta, who owns the interconnection, who carries fuel/water/emissions obligations, and who pays if the plant is retired.
Promised → Actual power costsBefore approval, publish the expected cost allocation. After energization, publish what was actually charged to the project and what, if anything, entered general system or ratepayer costs.
Water balanceSeparate data centre cooling, power plant water, domestic water, fire protection, wastewater, and discharge.
Mitigation costs follow the projectIf a new private load creates new emissions, water-treatment, grid, road, noise, or other mitigation costs, those costs should principally be built into the project rather than shifted to taxpayers or existing ratepayers.
Property-line noise verificationModel before approval, measure after construction, enforce limits, publish complaint process.
Land-use transparencyShow zoning, planning history, farmland impact, buffers, traffic, servicing, and cumulative impact.
Binding Alberta benefitLocal procurement, apprenticeship seats, tax clarity, permanent job reporting, and public-interest compute access where appropriate.
Canadian Compute ContractForeign-controlled gigawatt-scale AI campuses should sign a Canadian Compute Dividend pledge before the application is accepted as complete, with a roughly 5% compute-equivalent benefit for Canadian public-interest users.
AI Prosperity FundGigawatt-scale AI projects should make a defined, durable contribution to an independently managed public investment fund so Albertans and Canadians accumulate an ownership stake in the productivity created by the infrastructure they host.
Independent monitorPaid by the project, reporting to the public, municipality, and province. Not corporate self-marking.
Cleanup securityPosted up front, updated as the project grows, and attached to the asset through sale or bankruptcy.

Canadian Compute Dividend

For foreign-controlled gigawatt-scale AI campuses, public benefit should include measurable Canadian access to compute, not just construction jobs and local tax promises.

The proposed Canadian Compute Contract sets a starting framework: a roughly 5% compute-equivalent benefit for Canadian research, medicine, science, public-sector, startup, and public-interest users.

Read the compute contract

AI Prosperity Fund

If AI infrastructure ultimately allows much more production with much less human labour, governments may face a difficult combination: greater private productivity, weaker labour income, and pressure on the tax base used to support households.

Alberta and Canada should begin building a public ownership stake while the infrastructure is being built. A defined contribution from very large AI projects could be invested in a permanent, professionally managed fund rather than disappearing into annual operating budgets.

The purpose is not to punish automation. It is to make sure the public owns a durable share of the productivity created by an industry using Canadian land, energy, infrastructure and regulatory permission.

Read the FUTUREAI case

No orphan power plants

If a data centre is approved because it will bring its own power, the power plant cannot be an afterthought. It needs the same exit planning as the data centre itself.

Before approval, the proponent should state whether the plant is captive or export-capable, whether Alberta can use it if the data centre shuts down, and what financial security covers decommissioning if the plant becomes stranded.

The independent monitor

The monitor should have access to power use, water use, noise complaints, outage impacts, construction commitments, local procurement, apprentice numbers, and cleanup security updates.

The company can pay for it. The company should not control it.

Sources and notes