Saskatchewan’s Opposition NDP is calling for a moratorium on the construction of hyperscale artificial intelligence data centres in the province, arguing that new projects should be put on hold until a clear assessment framework and meaningful public consultation are in place.
NDP Leader Carla Beck says the province should pause approvals until a process is established to evaluate the potential effects of these large-scale facilities. She is also calling for robust public consultation before additional projects move forward.
The demand comes one day after Premier Scott Moe and Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Bell Canada plans to quadruple the size of its proposed data centre outside Regina.
The expansion would increase the facility’s planned capacity to 1.2 gigawatts, up from the previously announced 300 megawatts.
Beck says the provincial government made the announcement unilaterally and without consulting the public.
The NDP leader says Saskatchewan residents are concerned that the growing electricity demand associated with data centres could ultimately put upward pressure on their power bills. She also says questions remain over what she characterizes as the Saskatchewan Party government’s rapid approval of Bell’s project.
The provincial government was not immediately available for comment.
Moe has previously said Saskatchewan has sufficient generating capacity on its electricity grid to support Bell’s data centre. He has also said additional power would become available as the province advances toward nuclear energy technologies.
