The federal government has announced its intention to develop and construct a data center facility in the National Capital Region. The project, estimated to cost between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion, is aligned with the government’s strategic goals concerning operations, security, and technology advancement in the long term.
This initiative will require 60 megawatts of power, equivalent to the energy consumption of around 30,000 households. While the advance procurement notice is not a call for proposals, it provides interested parties with time to secure the necessary approvals before the official contract is released early next year.
The notice highlights that there are no guarantees regarding the progression of the contract or the timely approval of security clearances. This announcement follows a motion by the Ottawa city council to evaluate data centers based on their size and impact, with a report expected to be presented to the council in the near future.
In Ontario, municipalities like Oakville and Mississauga have imposed one-year moratoriums on new data centers to further study the implications. Ontario introduced a new data center framework focusing on economic development, data protection, community investment, and public trust in August.
The issue of data centers has become a topic of discussion in the ongoing municipal election campaign. Incumbent mayor Mark Sutcliffe emphasized the importance of responsible decision-making, particularly regarding data sovereignty. Mayoral candidates Neil Saravanamuttoo and Jeff Leiper advocated for a moratorium on such projects to conduct thorough evaluations.
During a recent debate, candidate Alex Lawson expressed concerns about restricting the growth potential by imposing a moratorium, contrasting with the views of other candidates who prioritized studying the issue further before allowing new data centers to be established.