Anthropic data center plan in Nova Scotia meets protests over power and water

what happened

The planned Point Tupper data center for Anthropic, developed by EverWind Fuels in Nova Scotia, is drawing calls for emergency scrutiny in the provincial legislature. NDP leader Claudia Chender asked Premier Tim Houston to recall the house, arguing that the government backed AI data centers without enough public input or dedicated rules. A petition against such projects had 12,700 signatures, according to The Canadian Press as reported by theenergymag.com.

Demonstrators numbering over 100 walked in Halifax on October 17, moving from Nova Scotia Power's offices to Province House. They voiced worries about water supplies and the pace at which the project has advanced. EverWind says it will cover electricity connection and grid upgrade costs, and that its cooling relies mostly on air. It estimates water use at 100,000 liters a day at first and 500,000 liters at full build-out.

The first 95-megawatt phase is targeted for late 2027, with a 325-megawatt expansion in 2028, subject to commercial, technical and regulatory conditions. Houston said on October 19 that existing environmental and industrial approvals would provide oversight.

why it matters

For power markets, this is a signal that local limits on grid costs and water use could slow large data center projects in Canada. Energy investors may want to watch whether the legislature sets binding rules instead of voluntary guidelines.

market impact

Nova Scotia Power and the regional grid: local rules on data center power loads could delay large connections.

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