EverWind Plans $10-Billion AI Data Centre in Nova Scotia Amid Environmental and Financial Concerns
Green hydrogen company EverWind has proposed a $10-billion, 18,600-square-metre AI data centre in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia, with AI firm Anthropic signing a 20-year lease. The project faces scrutiny over water usage, electricity costs, and the absence of a dedicated environmental assessment.
EverWind, a green hydrogen company, has announced plans to build a $10-billion artificial intelligence data centre in Point Tupper, Nova Scotia. The proposed facility will span 18,600 square metres, and AI company Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the site. 
EverWind Chief Financial Officer Matthew Tinari stated that the company will begin hosting community engagement sessions next week. Tinari cited more than $100 million in tax revenue and GDP stimulation as expected benefits for the region.
The Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee met on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to question EverWind representatives about the proposal. During the meeting, Deputy Minister Stephen MacDonald stated that EverWind first approached the province with the proposal in Q1 or Q2 of 2026. Premier Tim Houston attended the initial announcement and was seated next to EverWind CEO Trent Vichie. While MacDonald maintained that the event was "not an announcement by the province," NDP leader Claudia Chender argued that the premier's presence and a related Facebook post signaled provincial approval.
Initial capacity estimates indicate the data centre will use 95 megawatts in phase one and 320 megawatts in phase two, totaling 425 megawatts. Energy Planning executive director David Miller told the committee that the system impact study for phase one is complete, while the phase two study was just received. Neither study is publicly available. Concerns have been raised regarding potential strain on the province’s electrical grid and possible spikes in electricity rates for Nova Scotians. MacDonald stated that fuel costs go to the user but admitted that over-capacity costs could be pushed to customers, despite previous promises from Premier Houston that rates would not increase.
The facility's closed-loop cooling system is estimated to use 500,000 litres of water per day from Landrie Lake, which has a daily safe yield of 34 million litres. Water withdrawal from the lake was recently approved by the Department of Environment and Climate Change. Additionally, an application for an on-site diesel-fueled power generator is currently under review. No specific environmental assessment has been conducted for the data centre itself; existing assessments only cover the broader green hydrogen project. 
During the committee proceedings, allegations surfaced that EverWind owes fees to the Newfoundland & Labrador government for leased crown land. Tinari refuted these claims. Public distrust remains regarding the lack of written contracts and transparency surrounding the project.