Residents near the Spruce Lake Industrial Park face massive changes to their neighborhood. Saint John citizens recently uncovered a second proposal for an artificial intelligence data centre in the area, sparking new concerns about energy consumption and transparency.

Hidden Proposals Come to Light

Chris Watson spent the past year leading citizen opposition to a major data centre project in his Saint John neighborhood. Through right to information legislation, he reviewed recent correspondence from Opportunities New Brunswick. He discovered a second company trying to bring another energy hungry project to the region.

“It’s not surprising, but it’s just deeply disappointing,” Watson said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Watson and his grassroots community group Save Lorneville found a proposal from United States firm Cross River Infrastructure Partners. The company wrote to the Opportunities New Brunswick minister in April asking for 50 megawatts of power for a large scale data centre campus. This proposed site sits in the same Spruce Lake Industrial Park as the previously announced Beacon Data Centers project.

The Strain on the Power Grid

The Beacon Data Centers project is a 2 billion dollar artificial intelligence hub requiring 400 megawatts of power. It currently faces regulatory review. Adding the Cross River proposal increases the potential strain on the local power grid.

NB Power confirmed it holds 10 applications for data centre projects that require up to 900 megawatts of electricity. The Crown owned utility declines to identify all the projects on this list and keeps the applications confidential. A spokesperson stated these large projects require contractual flexibility to protect the grid and avoid raising customer rates.

Watson believes the provincial government entertains these proposals without sharing vital information with the affected citizens. He argues the government scrambles to review projects without adequate rules to protect residents and the environment. He calls for a moratorium on new data centre projects until stronger policies exist.

Economic Growth Versus Public Concern

The provincial government views these facilities as a chance to generate economic growth through tax revenue and job creation. Officials are currently working on a policy framework for data centre development and recently sought public feedback.

Thomas Bateman is a political science professor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton. He notes people oppose data centres due to anxiety about artificial intelligence and the massive energy requirements.

“They don’t know if it’s good or bad, or if it’s going to mean the end of civilization as we know it, or if it’s going to cure cancer,” Bateman said.

Recent polling from the Angus Reid Institute shows 64 percent of Canadians want their provincial governments to limit the development of large data centres. Despite this public hesitation, the federal government actively promotes a major artificial intelligence data centre buildout.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new data centre proposal in Saint John?

Cross River Infrastructure Partners proposed a 50 megawatt large scale data centre campus in the Spruce Lake Industrial Park. Residents discovered this proposal through right to information requests.

How much power do these proposed facilities require?

NB Power currently has 10 confidential applications for data centres that need up to 900 megawatts of electricity from the provincial grid.

What is the provincial government doing about data centres?

The New Brunswick government is developing a policy framework to manage data centre development. They aim to balance potential economic growth and job creation with environmental protection and grid stability.