N.S. protests call for moratorium on data centre proposals in province

Nearly 1,000 Nova Scotians demonstrated in Halifax on Saturday to protest a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in southern Cape Breton, drowning out the rain with chants. The rally called for a moratorium on all large-scale AI data centre projects in the province following the announcement that U.S. AI company Anthropic would lease a data centre in Pont Tupper, N.S., to Anthropic.

Ned Zimmerman, a tech worker and organizer of the rally, argued that large-scale AI data centres are socially destructive and environmentally irresponsible, expressing concerns about their impact on communities, landscapes, ecosystems, and populations. Everwind Fuels, the proponent of the project, described it as the largest private investment in provincial history and has signed a 20-year lease for an 18,600-square-metre facility that will power Anthropic's AI assistant, Claude.

The facility, expected to come online in 2027, will draw 95 megawatts of electricity in its first phase and will expand to 420 megawatts by mid-2028. However, the project has faced backlash from Nova Scotians concerned about its potential environmental impact and the effect on power rates. A Change.org petition to stop the development of AI data centres in Nova Scotia garnered nearly 28,000 signatures.

While Everwind claims it will cover the cost of all electricity infrastructure and that the project will not increase power rates, Premier Tim Houston's office stated that the data centre will only proceed if it meets provincial and federal guidelines, including protecting water, the environment, power rates, and capacity. Zimmerman criticized the guidelines, stating they are insufficient for a project of this scale and that community consultation was lacking.

Everwind did not respond to requests for comment. The rally was one of seven held across the province on Saturday.