EverWind Fuels Hosts Public Sessions on Proposed AI Data Centre Campus at Point Tupper
EverWind Fuels held public information sessions in Nova Scotia regarding a proposed $8-10 billion AI data centre campus at Point Tupper, featuring a 20-year lease with Anthropic. Over 150 to 200 residents attended the first meeting, raising questions about water usage, grid upgrades, and jobs.
EverWind Fuels hosted public information sessions this week in D'Escousse and Lower River Inhabitants, Nova Scotia, to discuss a proposed artificial intelligence data centre campus at Point Tupper. The project is described as an $8-billion investment by CBC News, while Global News and SaltWire report the figure at $10 billion.
The first open house took place Tuesday evening at the D'Escousse Civic Improvement Society Hall. CBC News reported that more than 150 people attended, while Global News and SaltWire estimated that more than 200 people, or a couple hundred, filled the venue. EverWind officials noted that no protesters appeared at the meeting, despite their expectations. A second open house was scheduled for Wednesday at the Riverdale Community Centre in Lower River Inhabitants.
The proposed development involves building a 95-megawatt data centre as its first phase to support the chatbot Claude, operated by American AI company Anthropic. Anthropic has signed a 20-year lease for the facility. Regarding the timeline, CBC News states the first phase is intended to be built by next year, whereas Global News reports the centre is set to come online by the end of 2027. EverWind plans a further 325-megawatt expansion in 2028. The entire campus is eventually planned to run mostly on wind power.
To cool the data centre, EverWind intends to use a closed-loop system drawing water from nearby Landrie Lake. The facility will initially require 100,000 litres of water a day, increasing to up to 500,000 litres a day following the planned expansion.
Nova Scotia’s Independent Energy System Operator stated that the electrical grid can handle current needs but requires at least $74 million in upgrades. EverWind has committed to funding those necessary improvements. EverWind director of engagement Mark Stewart confirmed that the company has not requested tax incentives associated with the project. Company officials also stated the project would provide approximately 2,000 construction jobs and 215 permanent positions.
During the sessions, attendees asked respectful questions, though opinions on the project remained mixed. Residents raised concerns regarding environmental impacts, water consumption from Landrie Lake, battery safety, Canadian sovereignty, noise levels, and skepticism over long-term job promises based on past experiences.