The Municipality of Kincardine believes municipalities should have to give formal support to a data centre before it can be built in their community. That’s just one of several recommendations Kincardine is making to the Ontario government as they put together Ontario’s plan on how to deal with prospective projects. The large projects have been divisive across the country and world as they use large amounts of electricity and water. Kincardine says closed loop water systems and clear standards for electricity usage should be laid out before any data centre project can proceed. Council directed town staff to submit their recommendations to the province advocating that stronger municipal involvement, cost recovery, environmental protections, community benefits, transparency, and emergency planning are needed for responsible investment, while ensuring host communities share in the long-term benefits of potential growth. The public has until Sept. 12 to share their comments with the provincial government about data centre development.
