MP calls on New Brunswick to reject proposed AI data centre in open letter to premier

A New Brunswick Member of Parliament, John Williamson, has penned an open letter to Premier Susan Holt, urging her administration to reject a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Saint John. Williamson asserts that the facility, which could consume up to 200 megawatts from the grid, would put undue strain on the power grid and result in increased electricity rates for local residents.

Williamson criticized Beacon Data Centers, the company behind the project, for allegedly overestimating the amount of power they would generate on-site. According to the conservative MP, Beacon AI is seeking approval for a 390 megawatt data centre, but Williamson claims the company is not willing to power the entire facility themselves. In a meeting with the company, Williamson said he raised this concern, but they "balked."

The New Brunswick government, however, insists that any new data centre must cover the costs it creates and cannot result in higher electricity rates. Despite this, Williamson argues that the provincial government needs to "play hardball" with companies seeking to build data centres to protect ratepayers from substantial price hikes.