Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres were top of mind at the most recent Chatham-Kent (CK) council meeting.
On Monday night, both councillors Ryan Doyle and Michael Bondy put forward notices of motions concerning data centres.
They were similar motions in the sense that they both asked staff to create a report that will be brought before council at a later date.
The report Doyle requested will look into the scope of work of any study undertaken, information on the current regulatory environment for data centres at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government, and financial considerations like staffing resource requirements and the need for external consultants to undertake further studies.
Bondy's requested report would include a review and study of the municipalities land use planning policies concerning AI data centres.
His initial report would include information on the scope of work of any study being done, financial and staffing resources, external consultants, proposed plans for public engagement, proposed consultation with the Indigenous community, current regulatory environment for data centres at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government, and information from the Province’s Independent Electricity System Operator and electrical utility service providers that operate within the Municipality of CK on the potential costs and other impacts to electrical infrastructure.
If his study is approved, it would then come before council. At this time, council would consider if a third-party consultant is needed for a further study.
Both notices ask that the motions be shared with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).
Doyle's hope is to show support for AMO's advocacy position to establish a strategy that will allow for meaningful inclusion of municipalities before approving or denying large scale data centres.
Bondy is looking to request support from the Federal and Provincial governments, as well as municipalities, to establish a coordinated framework for AI industry growth and development.
The motions were put forward on the same day that the municipality announced that a clean-energy manufacturing project is in the works.
The company is looking to build a factory to create sodium batteries that will be sold to AI data centers. CK Mayor Darrin Canniff confirmed that the project itself will not be a data centre.
"They produce batteries for data centres. So data centres will be their customers for their sodium batteries that they're going to produce," said Canniff. "It is not going to be a data centre."
Both motions will be voted on at the September 21 council meeting.
