Nova Scotia Reconsiders Data Centres as EverWind Eyes Cape Breton Site
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has shifted his stance on data centre development, setting strict conditions for any projects. Clean energy developer EverWind Fuels is exploring adding a data centre to its Point Tupper Energy Hub in Cape Breton amid major Canadian investments by Meta and Bell Canada.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston has reconsidered the province's approach to data centre development, stating that the situation has changed due to new federal standards and rising tensions between Canada and the United States. In June, Houston had previously said data centres were not a priority for the province.
Houston outlined strict conditions for any data centre development in Nova Scotia. Projects must meet Prime Minister Mark Carney’s federal standards and protect water and the environment through closed-loop cooling systems. Additionally, developments must ensure no negative impact on ratepayers' electricity rates and provide direct financial returns to the province. Meeting these conditions could lead to job creation, training opportunities, and local business benefits, while failure to enforce them risks increased electricity costs or environmental strain.
Clean energy developer EverWind Fuels is considering building a data centre at its existing industrial site in Point Tupper on Cape Breton Island, located along the Strait of Canso. The proposal is part of the broader Point Tupper Energy Hub, which includes plans for 650 megawatts of wind farm capacity and the production and export of green hydrogen and ammonia.
The potential development aligns with Nova Scotia's 2030 Clean Power Plan, which targets ending coal use and reaching at least 80 per cent renewable energy, including a 50 per cent wind energy generation goal, by the end of this decade. A data centre could increase demand for new energy generation, storage, and transmission infrastructure in the province.
EverWind's exploration comes alongside major data centre investments elsewhere in Canada. Meta Platforms Inc. is building a $13-billion data centre in Sturgeon County, Alberta. Bell Canada announced plans to expand its artificial intelligence hub in Saskatchewan with up to 900 megawatts of new capacity. Bell aims for a 1.2-gigawatt hub, creating 4,500 jobs with a total capital investment of up to $52.5 billion.
Developing domestic data centre capacity could strengthen Canada's ability to store and process critical data, reducing dependence on other countries, including the United States and Europe. Claire Parsons provided an email response regarding the matter on Thursday.