Premier Danielle Smith and three cabinet members engaged in a one-hour session on Thursday addressing concerns raised by Albertans regarding the establishment of artificial intelligence data centers in the province. This virtual town hall was notably less contentious than the previous in-person events where Technology Minister Nate Glubish faced criticism and demands for enhanced safeguards.
During the session, which attracted over 12,500 participants, Albertans were given the opportunity to pose questions either online or via pre-registered phone calls. The government’s objective has been to promote Alberta as an attractive location for data centers, emphasizing the potential for job creation and significant revenue through royalties and taxes.
Despite the government’s efforts, participants did not display enthusiasm for hosting large computing facilities in the province. While one caller expressed excitement at being in the call with the premier, the overall sentiment remained critical.
Water usage emerged as a prominent concern, with callers questioning the projected limited water consumption of upcoming projects such as Meta’s $13 billion campus near Edmonton. The government emphasized a closed-loop cooling system to minimize water usage, drawing parallels to a golf course’s annual water consumption.
In response to inquiries about water-intensive industries, Premier Smith highlighted the significant water usage by other sectors in the province. The issue of job prioritization for Albertans was raised, with Smith affirming the government’s commitment to this goal and referencing an upcoming referendum on immigration and temporary foreign worker regulations.
The town hall also surveyed participants on supporting setbacks to prevent data centers from being too close to residential areas, following the rejection of a data center project in Olds due to proximity concerns. The session concluded with a poll on participants’ primary concerns regarding data centers, addressing aspects like electricity affordability, grid reliability, and water use.
Opposition leader Naheed Nenshi called for a moratorium on data centers until stricter regulations are in place, criticizing the government for lacking clear guidelines and community impact assessments. The government’s approach to abandoned data centers and power plants was also discussed, with assurances that reclamation plans were in place.
The final data center town hall is scheduled for September 11 in Grande Prairie, with the premier not slated to attend.