Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his government will consider proposals for new data centres, softening his earlier position that it was too soon to discuss the facilities before major energy projects were completed. He says companies seeking to build in the province must meet conditions on water, electricity costs, community benefits and data security.
In a statement Wednesday, Houston said the circumstances have changed and that prospective data centres could help create demand and investment cases for new energy projects. His earlier position was that discussion should wait until major proposals, including the Wind West offshore wind project, were further along.
Data centres house computer servers used for artificial intelligence and other high-tech services. They require large amounts of electricity to operate and cool the equipment, making energy supply an important consideration as Nova Scotia weighs whether to host new facilities.
Houston described data centres as increasingly critical infrastructure and said Canada cannot depend on other countries to store its data. He also pointed to new federal rules for the sector as a reason he is prepared to hear proposals, though the supplied details do not specify what those rules require.
The premier set out a series of conditions for companies interested in building in Nova Scotia. “If a company can protect our water, protect ratepayers, strengthen our communities, create economic opportunity and keep critical Canadian data in Canada, we will hear them out,” Houston said. He added that companies unable to meet that standard would not build in the province.
The shift links the data-centre debate to Nova Scotia’s energy planning. Houston’s statement suggests prospective projects could be considered not only as new electricity users, but also as a source of demand that may support investment in energy developments such as Wind West. No specific data-centre proposal, approval or construction schedule was identified in the supplied information.
Any company considering a project would therefore need to demonstrate how it would address the conditions Houston outlined, including effects on water resources and ratepayers, alongside its economic and data-storage commitments. The next step is for the province to hear proposals under the standard the premier described; no decision dates or implementation timeline were announced.