I support a moratorium on new hyperscale and AI data centres in Peterborough while the City develops clear rules for how these projects should be assessed.
These facilities can require enormous amounts of electricity, land, and other infrastructure while creating relatively few permanent jobs. Peterborough is already planning for electricity-capacity pressures in the region, including future needs at Otonabee and Dobbin transformer stations. We also have a limited amount of serviced employment land, and I think we should be asking whether we're getting the best possible use out of it. A massive facility that occupies industrial land and consumes enormous amounts of power but employs relatively few people deserves much closer scrutiny.
Before approving a hyperscale facility, I want to know what Peterborough is actually getting in return. How much electricity and water will it use? What infrastructure does it require, and who pays for it? How much municipal tax revenue will it generate? How many permanent local jobs will it create? And could those same resources provide greater value to the community through another use?
I’m not calling for a permanent ban. Data centres are important infrastructure, and a project that pays the costs it creates, minimizes its environmental impact, and provides clear and lasting benefits to Peterborough should be considered on its merits.
Until Peterborough has those rules in place, I don't think we should be approving hyperscale data centres and hoping the benefits justify the costs afterward.