🔵 One Sees Opportunity. The Other Sees Another Impact Assessment. 🟠

Folks,

We have two leaders with very different visions for Alberta’s economic future.

🥊 In the blue corner: Premier Danielle Smith.

Smith is bullish on the economic opportunity from AI data centres, but she isn’t handing developers a blank cheque. Alberta has laid out responsible guidelines: projects need to bring their own power, use innovative cooling technology that limits water consumption and be built in appropriate locations away from family homes.

And not every project gets rubber-stamped. Meta’s project was approved, while the first proposed project near Olds was turned down. If a future Olds-area project follows the guidelines and addresses the concerns, it may get approved. That’s opportunity…not a guarantee.

🥊 In the orange corner: NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi.

Nenshi claims the UCP government “did not create regulations that include utility affordability, investor certainty and environmental protections.” There’s just one problem with that argument: those concerns are already addressed in Premier Smith’s approach.

Nenshi is calling for an immediate pause on AI data-centre development until what he calls a credible impact-assessment framework is in place. His proposed framework also talks about “meaningful public consultation,” protecting people’s privacy and contributing to Canada’s data sovereignty.

Translation: hit pause, add another layer of process and leave investors wondering what the final rules will actually be. Meanwhile, Alberta can wave as the investment parade passes by.

And forgive me for being skeptical about Nenshi’s definition of “meaningful consultation.” As Calgary mayor, he championed the 14th Street S.W. Bus Rapid Transit despite substantial opposition from surrounding communities. More than $100 million was spent on that section of Calgary’s BRT network…construction disrupted traffic for years along a major traffic artery. Today, many of those buses appear to be running with plenty of empty seats.

Then there’s data sovereignty. North America is in an AI race with China. If we are genuinely concerned about where Canadian data is stored, processed and protected, shouldn’t that be an argument for building more secure data-centre capacity here in Alberta and Canada rather than putting development on pause?

Alberta has abundant natural gas, cold winters, skilled workers and room to grow. We have an opportunity to become a serious player in one of the defining industries of the next generation. We should develop that opportunity responsibly…not regulate it right out of Alberta.

BOTTOM LINE: Premier Danielle Smith stands for Alberta jobs and economic growth. Naheed Nenshi is politically pandering by tapping into a backlash fuelled by hyperbole over data centres and AI doomsdaying.