Chender calls for emergency session of the Legislature as Nova Scotians demand answers on data centres

HALIFAX – Today, Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender called on Premier Tim Houston to reconvene the Legislature for an emergency sitting so Nova Scotians can get a clear plan and clear answers from the Houston government on the proposed data centre in Point Tupper, Cape Breton.

Since the EverWind data centre was announced, Nova Scotians have responded in unprecedented numbers. Thousands have signed petitions, MLA inboxes are being flooded, and hundreds of thousands more are engaging online.

“The bottom line is that no one asked for this. Power bills are likely to increase, a massive amount of fresh water will be used, and few long-term jobs will be created,” said Chender. “The Premier flip-flopped on Nova Scotia Power securitization and AI data centres, and it’s going to cost Nova Scotians. Power bills are already up hundreds of dollars a year since Houston became Premier, and as Energy Minister he’s done nothing to protect Nova Scotians from price hikes — in fact, he’s making choices that will drive power bills even higher.”

The data centre, which will be leased by Claude creator Anthropic, will consume about a fifth of the current electricity supply on Nova Scotia’s power grid. EverWind has also been granted a 30-year permit to draw 10 million litres of water each day from Lake Landrie — 20 times more than the company claims it will use.

Houston announced the new data centre without any discussion, consultation, or regulations to protect Nova Scotians from the risks that come with hyperscale data centres. He also left the province immediately after making the announcement, flying off to Denmark over the weekend to meet with investors.

“People need real answers, regulations and protections for their water and their power bills enshrined in law. They want to hear the case for if there is real community benefit — and they want to see it in writing. Promises don’t pay the bills” said Chender. “As the Official Opposition, we need to take action. That’s why, for the first time, we’ve sent letters to the Premier and the Speaker to call back the Legislature.

“This government is supposed to work for Nova Scotians, they were not elected to do deals in the dark. So now the Premier needs to decide: how long will he make people wait before he recalls the Legislature?”

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