EverWind announces $10B Nova Scotia data centre and wind investment

EverWind said the $10-billion commitment includes $8 billion to develop, build, own and finance the data centre at Point Tupper, and $2 billion for its onshore wind projects. CEO Trent Vichie called it what the company believes is the largest private capital injection in Nova Scotia's history. He also said EverWind has a long-term lease with a very large AI company, which was expected to identify itself later Friday.

The campus is designed to start with a 95-megawatt phase in late 2027, followed by a 325-megawatt expansion targeted for 2028 if regulatory conditions are met. At full build-out, EverWind expects 420 megawatts of capacity to serve growing artificial intelligence and digital services demand. The company plans to cover the project's electricity infrastructure costs so they are not passed to ratepayers, and it says the site will include several hundred megawatt hours of battery storage.

EverWind forecasts 2,000 construction jobs and 215 permanent operating positions, plus indirect employment. Vichie said the investment is anchored by a long-term commitment and will support both Nova Scotia's energy economy and its knowledge economy. The company expects the data centre and wind development to generate more than $400 million in municipal tax revenue over their lifetimes, and it says it will fund community programs that could include infrastructure, recreation and housing. EverWind also said negotiations are underway with a First Nations consortium led by Membertou Development Corporation over a potential ownership stake in the data centre.

Premier Tim Houston said Canada does not have enough compute power and needs more secure data infrastructure, describing the project as important for Nova Scotia and the country. NDP Leader Claudia Chender said she does not believe the premier is protecting Nova Scotians from data centre risks, pointing to concerns about power rates and fresh water and criticizing the lack of discussion, consultation, legislation or regulations. Richmond County Warden Lois Landry said the project must answer questions about electricity, water, the environment and existing infrastructure, and while she called the latest information encouraging, she said much work remains.

EverWind says the Point Tupper facility will use a closed-loop cooling system in which a water-glycol mixture circulates in a sealed loop rather than being routinely discharged. Heat will be removed mainly by air, with water-assisted cooling during the hottest weather, and the company notes Nova Scotia's cooler climate reduces cooling-water needs for much of the year. Under current design assumptions, the initial phase would use about 100,000 litres of water per day, rising to an average of about 500,000 litres per day at the full 420-megawatt build-out. EverWind said it will fund water infrastructure costs and comply with requirements covering water use, noise and emissions.

Data centres require large amounts of electricity to run and cool computer servers, and their environmental and health impacts have drawn concerns across Canada. In June, Canada announced a new AI strategy that includes proposals for large-scale data centres. Residents in Lorneville, N.B., have opposed a proposed AI data centre, several Ontario municipalities have debated moratoriums while studying guardrails, and Alberta townhalls have seen heated questions about environmental risks, water use and energy costs. Houston said existing industrial and environmental approval processes provide checks and balances and will not change for industrial entities setting up in the province.