Alberta to Host Second Town Hall on AI Data Centre Plans in Sturgeon County

Alberta Technology Minister Nate Glubish is set to host the province’s second town hall on its plans for artificial intelligence data centres on Thursday in Redwater, north of Edmonton. The event comes amid growing concerns over the environmental and economic impacts of large-scale AI facilities.

Redwater is in Sturgeon County, where tech giant Meta is planning a $13-billion AI data centre project. The proposed facility would be a major investment in the region and is expected to be one of Canada’s largest data centres.

The town hall follows a contentious meeting in Lacombe on Wednesday, where Glubish faced boos, jeers and tough questions from residents opposed to the province’s data-centre strategy. Critics have raised concerns about water consumption, environmental risks, electricity demand and potential impacts on power bills.

Glubish has defended the government’s approach, saying Alberta has established strict rules to protect water supplies, control electricity costs and ensure data-centre developments are located away from residential areas.

Premier Danielle Smith is scheduled to join Glubish for a virtual town hall on Aug. 27, while another in-person meeting is planned for Grande Prairie in September.