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Alberta data centre push sparks backlash from rural landowners

Landowners say they are overwhelmed by the speed of development and feel powerless against the province's push for AI infrastructure.

By Nadia Rahman, Personal Finance Reporter
October 31, 2026

CALGARY · Data centres are being proposed across Alberta at a rapid pace, sparking a fierce backlash from rural landowners who say they are being squeezed by the province's aggressive push to become an artificial intelligence hub. Creig Antliff, a 75-year-old farmer, was visited at his home near Calgary in May by representatives from Beacon Data Centers Inc., who wanted to discuss a nearby natural gas plant to power a hyperscale data centre. The visitors later revealed their intent was to buy his land, a moment Antliff said crystallized the pressure facing his community. Alberta's government launched a data-centre strategy in late 2024, aiming to capture $100 billion in investment within five years, and has since seen connection requests for power totalling 26,849 megawatts.

There are 20 active data centres in Alberta, with another 149 announced and four under construction, according to data provider Aterio. The province's strategy, which includes a "concierge service" for developers, has already attracted major commitments, including a $13-billion data centre campus from Meta Platforms Inc. announced in July. Premier Danielle Smith called the Meta deal a "historic win" and declared Alberta was becoming "a central player at the heart of the AI revolution." This week, The Globe and Mail learned that AI company Anthropic is in talks to lease a Beacon data centre campus in Sturgeon County, northeast of Edmonton.

"People are just feeling so up against the wall," said Antliff, who farms in the Indus area. He and his wife, Jeannie, are adamantly opposed to the proposed natural gas plant and co-located data centre, citing concerns about emissions and noise. Their experience reflects a growing distrust among First Nations, municipalities and local landowners who say they are overwhelmed by the speed of development. Many feel they are losing control of their territories in the face of a rush propelled by the province and insatiable demand for AI infrastructure.

The backlash is not unique to Canada. In the United States, 46 states have a combined 575 active restrictions on data-centre development, including moratoriums and zoning limits. In Alberta, the issue has become a flashpoint at town halls, where Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish has faced jeers and boos from residents. "What you don't see in those town halls is the thousands and thousands of people who are very supportive of this infrastructure, who understand that Albertans are going to benefit enormously," Glubish said in a September interview.

Glubish spearheaded the data-centre strategy after attending a tech conference in 2024, where he heard Anthropic's CEO discuss the billions spent on AI computing. Sensing an opportunity, he promoted Alberta's ample natural gas reserves as an energy source. The strategy quickly tested the power grid, with developers requesting connections for more than 11,000 megawatts by April 2025. In response, the province began prioritizing projects that generate their own power, a shift illustrated by Beacon's plans. Beacon, founded in 2023 by New York-based AI investor Nadia Partners, initially planned to rely on grid power and build a solar facility at its Indus site. It changed course to build a large-scale, 1,494-megawatt natural gas plant, a move the company said was "necessary because of provincial policy and grid constraints" in filings with the Alberta Utilities Commission. "We prioritize being a good neighbour-throughout and prior to the regulatory process, we have engaged with local landowners, listening to their perspectives and working together to address concerns," said Lauren Armstrong, Beacon's vice-president of corporate affairs.

How many of the proposed data centres will be built remains uncertain, as AI-related tech stocks have pulled back recently amid concerns about the massive capital required for such projects. The global spending on data centres for AI is forecast to hit $1 trillion this year and reach $2.1 trillion by 2028, according to Bank of America. The pressure on communities continues, with Antliff recalling that as the Beacon representatives left his home, one told him to "think big." He said he did not need the advice, as he was already thinking about how to stop the project.

With files from The Globe and Mail