Canadian professor warns massive new data center would release ‘23 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs worth of energy’ every day

A Canadian professor has warned that a planned $70 billion data center, which would be the world's largest, could release significant amounts of energy. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation (SLCN) has filed for a judicial review over the project, known as O’Leary Digital Wonder Valley, which is planned to be 130 km southwest of the SLCN's reserve in Alberta, Canada.

The data center, conceived in 2024, would generate "23 atomic bombs of energy" daily, according to a physicist hired by the SLCN. However, the estimate is described as a "first-order estimate intended to convey scale, to be confirmed against the developer's own filings." Professor Robert Davies of Utah State University emphasizes that the effect of the data center's heat waste could be "large, if not extreme," and could potentially become the largest single-site heat source on Earth.

The Utah State University physicist also points out that the project could be outside the scope of current environmental regulations, which were not designed for such a massive scale. While Davies' contribution to the SLCN's judicial review filing is not a comprehensive environmental review or a legal opinion, he urges for more robust assessments before allowing the project to proceed.

O'Leary Digital has responded to the filing, stating that they respect the regulatory process and are committed to working with Indigenous communities through consultation and engagement.