HALIFAX - Julissa Stewart says she panicked when she learned about plans for an 18,600-square-metre AI data centre at an industrial site about 20 minutes away from her home in southern Cape Breton.
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she → say → Breton
Earlier this month, EverWind Fuels announced it intends to set up a $10-billion AI data centre in Point Tupper, N.S., that would come online by the end of 2027.
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that → announce → 2027
The American AI company Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the centre, which would draw 95 megawatts of electricity during its first phase.
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which → sign → phase
The company says a 325-megawatt expansion is expected in mid-2028, which would bring the development’s total energy demand to 420 megawatts.
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which → say → megawatts
“I’ve been paying attention to what’s happening with AI data centres in other places in Canada and in the States … then hearing that it’s coming here, so close to where we live, I have serious concerns.
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I → pay → concerns
Not because I’m against economic development, but because of how this is being rolled out,” Stewart said in a recent interview.
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Stewart → ’m → interview
The project by EverWind and Anthropic has thrust Nova Scotia into a debate that is playing out across Canada and the United States, as technology companies scramble to find locations for data centres needed to deliver the power for artificial intelligence and other computing infrastructure.
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companies → thrust → intelligence
In many cases, it has placed politicians eager for major industrial investments at odds with neighbourhoods filled with suspicion and anxiety about what’s planned in their backyards.
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what → place → backyards
Stewart said she’s been shocked by the speed of EverWind’s plan and lack of consultation with the community.
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she → say → community
EverWind’s chief financial officer said Tuesday the company was unable to start community consultation ahead of the Oct. 16 announcement because of a strict non-disclosure agreement with Anthropic.
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company → say → Anthropic
Information sessions hosted by EverWind are scheduled to begin in the Richmond County area next week.
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sessions → host → area
Stewart, who plans to attend, is also skeptical about how Premier Tim Houston appears to have shifted his views about data centres over the past few months.
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Houston → plan → months
“The way this has been rolling out has been very upsetting to people,” Stewart said.
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Stewart → roll → people
On June 18, Houston said it was too soon to turn his government’s attention to the matter, and a discussion about data centres would happen “far out into the future.”
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discussion → say → future
By late September, he softened that stance, opening a door to consider proposals from the sector in a post on social media.
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he → soften → media
“Then all of a sudden, we’re finding out this is coming to our backyard,” Stewart said.
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Stewart → find → backyard
She said her biggest concern is the lack of environmental assessment for the project and a shortage of regulations.
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concern → say → regulations
Houston told reporters Wednesday it’s not clear to him if any new legislation is needed.
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legislation → tell → him
“Do we want to do a piece of legislation for every business that sets up in Nova Scotia?
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that → want → Scotia
I mean, we’ve got to be realistic about these things.
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we → mean → things
We have guidelines.
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We → have → guidelines
We have approval processes.
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We → have → processes
And they’ll be followed,” the premier said.
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premier → follow → ?
Lora MacEachern, deputy minister of environment and climate change, said Tuesday the data centre doesn’t need to go through an environmental assessment and the industrial approval process is sufficient.
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process → say → assessment
AI data centres are not on the list of projects that would automatically trigger an environmental assessment in Nova Scotia.
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that → trigger → Scotia
This list includes quarries, mines, energy generation projects and other industrial facilities.
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list → include → quarries
The premier suggested AI data centres do not need to be on the list.
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centres → suggest → list
“We have guidelines that have to be met around water usage ... around power rates.
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that → have → rates
The government shouldn’t care what type of company it is, the government should care that the requirements of the province are met, and we’ll make sure that’s the case
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that → care → province
,” he said.
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he → say → ?
Stewart said legally binding regulations could help reassure residents about EverWind’s promise to behave responsibly.
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regulations → say → promise
“We can’t just rely on a company’s word.
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We → rely → word
It’s not good enough,” Stewart said.
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Stewart → ’ → ?
“What if this project gets built and it’s not what was advertised?”
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what → build → ?
Less than two weeks after EverWind’s announcement, a petition to stop the development of AI data centres in Nova Scotia on Change.org garnered more than 24,000 signatures.
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petition → stop → signatures
Opposition parties have also called for legislated regulations for AI data centres and for an environmental assessment to be conducted.
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assessment → call → centres
NDP Leader Claudia Chender said legally binding regulations are essential given the “long history of large industrial projects in Nova Scotia leaving us with ... decades of pollution, huge environmental implications, huge social implications.”
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projects → say → pollution
EverWind’s chief financial officer, Matthew Tinari, told a Nova Scotia legislature committee Tuesday that residents deserve clear and factual answers to their questions and the company is committed to addressing concerns.
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company → tell → concerns
Tinari said this includes a commitment to prevent rate hikes for residential electricity customers as well as a promise to protect the water supply and minimize water use.
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this → say → use
He also said the project would follow federal and provincial guidelines for data centres.
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project → say → centres
…and 27 more, not listed.
The Aporia
