The County of Grande Prairie has issued a development permit for a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in the Emerson Trail area near Sexsmith, Alberta. Following residents’ concerns about the approval process and the project’s possible effects, the county has changed how it will review similar applications, sending future data centre development permits that fit the zoning to the municipal planning commission.

The permit allows five buildings, each measuring 80 by 180 feet, along with 15 accessory structures measuring eight by 20 feet. The smaller structures are for make-up air (MUA) generators. The application met the land-use requirements in force when it was reviewed and received administrative approval.

Residents questioned why they had not received more information about the proposed development and its potential impacts. Some criticism appeared on social media. “If you value your water and bees and noise free time you had better stop it in its tracks asap. They are bad news,” Raymond N Shura wrote in a social media comment.

Other residents contacted county officials directly. The county then publicly acknowledged that people were seeking information about both the approval and its implications. “There are questions and concerns in the community regarding the recently approved development permit for a proposed data centre,” the county said in a public response. “The County recognizes the significant public interest in this project and understands that residents want more information about the approval and what it means.”

County reeve Amanda McDonald said data centres have been a recognized use under the county’s Land Use Bylaw for several years. The bylaw was approved in 2003 and has been adjusted over time to accommodate changing practices and development. McDonald said the facilities now being proposed differ in scale from those originally contemplated, although this application met the existing land-use requirements when it was considered.

McDonald described the change to the review process this way: “Since this conversation, we have asked for all of those, anything that fits under the right zoning, but is a development permit that fits under a data centre, that it would come to the municipal planning commission.” The county has not released the developer’s name.

The permit followed land-use change applications submitted by the property owners before the development permit was issued. Those applications were considered at an Aug. 10 hearing. One property’s designation changed from agricultural use to a category allowing development near major highways or roadways, where it would have greater visibility. The other changed from agricultural use to a category allowing higher-impact utility, industrial or manufacturing sites.

Both applications listed Christopher Balderston, Pamela Balderston and Ryan Curry as owners. One also listed RB Curry Auto Transport as a business name. The locations identified in the applications are consistent with the area named in the development permit. The county has not confirmed whether any of the people or companies named in the land-use applications are associated with the permitted data centre.

Christopher Balderston’s public LinkedIn profile identifies him as chief executive officer of Ground Level Land Corp. The company describes itself as “a privately owned real estate investment group concentrating on the acquisition, planning and development of strategically located land in the rapidly expanding County of Grande Prairie, Alberta.” The address for the proposed AI data centre is also listed as a future development in Ground Level’s Redtail Business Park, one of the company’s projects. Neither that listing nor the land-use applications amount to confirmation from the county about who is behind the permit.

The development permit does not mean construction can begin immediately. The project must still satisfy requirements set by Alberta and its agencies, McDonald said. She said it is consistent with the provincial AI data centre strategy, while warning that provincial decisions can restrict what the municipality may require of a development.

If the province waived an environmental impact assessment, for example, the county’s ability to add further requirements would be limited. In that situation, the municipality’s main option would be to advocate to the relevant provincial ministries, McDonald said. She described the limits on municipal conditions when a provincial energy approval is involved: “When something comes approved with an Alberta Energy license, and we’re looking at a development permit, we’re very limited in what we can add to the restrictions. We can make them put up a fence or make them direct light a certain way, for instance.”

The permit and the county’s response come amid broader debate about data centre development in Alberta. Related coverage has included a report that Alberta power prices could spike because of Meta’s data centre, a claim the company disputes. Another report described Alberta Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish telling a concerned Grande Prairie crowd to contact their MLAs about data centres. The county’s permit remains subject to the outstanding provincial and agency requirements.

Based on reporting by Edmonton Journal.