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AI Data Center Sparks Rural Outcry
20 Jul
Summary
- Residents concerned about noise and environmental impacts of AI data center.
- Diode Ventures seeks rezoning for a large AI data centre campus.
- County council approved initial rezoning readings despite resident opposition.
Wheatland County residents are opposing a significant development: a 3.5-million-square-foot AI data centre proposed by Diode Ventures. This Goldfinch Technology Park project is planned for an area near Strathmore and Carseland, raising alarms among locals who value their quiet rural lifestyle. Residents voiced concerns at a public hearing regarding potential noise, environmental impacts, and a perceived lack of transparency in the development process.
The proposal involves rezoning land from light industrial to medium industrial, a change residents feel was not originally intended for the area. Despite significant opposition, Wheatland County council has approved the first two readings of bylaws necessary to reclassify the land. This decision allows Diode Ventures to proceed with further development approvals, though a third reading is still required.
Diode Ventures states the project will bring tax revenue and jobs, and they have proposed an off-site power plant and water-saving cooling systems. However, residents remain unconvinced that the development aligns with community needs, viewing it as solely beneficial for the tax base. A third reading of the rezoning bylaws is scheduled for August 11, with construction potentially starting in mid-2028 if approvals are granted.
