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Supporters of a proposed data center park in northwestern Alberta are sharing updates on timelines, water usage, consultations and more ahead of the project’s open house this week.
The Wonder Valley Project is a $70 billion artificial intelligence data center campus 40 kilometers south of Grande Prairie, Alta., that will be built in phases if approved.
It will occupy approximately 64 square kilometers within the city limits of Greenview and will have up to 9 gigawatts of on-site power generation capacity once all phases are complete, a spokesperson for the open house confirmed in an email to CBC News. This is up from the 7.5 gigawatts estimated in December 2024, when the project was first announced.
O’Leary Digital, led by Kevin O’Leary, is deploying large-scale, energy-intensive computers in North America, and last week published a newsletter containing some new information about the planned developments.
water usage
The newsletter said Wonder Valley draws water from the nearby Smoky River for the facility, noting that Greenview Physicians holds a water law license to use up to 6 million cubic meters of water annually. It also has reserve certification to extract up to 24 million waters per year.
An Alberta government spokesperson confirmed to CBC that the MD allocation is aimed at “sustainably meeting the water needs of the Wonder Valley data center and future development within the Greenview Industrial Gateway Zone.”
The company said it estimates peak water demand at full capacity will be less than 6 million cubic meters, which is “significantly less” than previously expected, the newsletter said.
In a statement to CBC News, Alberta’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Regions said the Smoky River water use permit application has “strict conditions to protect the environment” and may limit water withdrawals during periods of low water levels.
““Let me be clear: 24 million cubic meters represents approximately 2 percent of the Smoky Basin’s total annual yield, and this application is under review and has not yet been approved,” the minister’s office said.
The ministry said it is working closely with Greenview and the company to ensure the project only moves forward if it meets “Alberta’s high environmental and regulatory standards.”
The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, which is completely surrounded by the Greenview MD, had filed an appeal regarding its water rights. that I was fired April 17, by the Alberta Environmental Appeal Board.
step-by-step approach
Environmental and electrical permits are expected to be granted through the Alberta Conservation District and the Alberta Public Utilities Commission in 2026, according to the O’Leary Digital Newsletter.
Consultation with First Nations and other stakeholder groups will also take place, as will initial equipment planning and ordering.
If approved, construction on the site could begin next year. O’Leary Digital hopes to begin the phased development in 2029, with the first phase using 2 gigawatts and 20 square kilometers of land.
The four phases will be built over the next 10 years.
Early information Previous projections from project proponents indicated that the first phase of the project could be completed in 2027.
“We all have to come out.”
Public Interest Alberta, a non-profit advocacy group, hosted a virtual town hall meeting in May to discuss Wonder Valley. The group wanted to alert the public to concerns about potential impacts on water, agriculture, energy prices and wildlife.
The online conference was co-hosted by Jenny Yeremy, an environmental advocate and host of the podcast The Gravity Well, who said hundreds of people listened to the online event and the feedback was “powerful.”
“I know a lot of people are already concerned about water in the area,” Yeremy told CBC News, noting there are environmental, cybersecurity and other concerns. “I hope it gets shut down. I hope the community says stop this.”
She is a resident of Olds, Alta., 215 kilometers south of Edmonton. Organized against the proposed data center within the community. She wants Grand Prairie residents to look to Olds as a role model.
When asked about Wonder Valley, Yeremy said, “I think we’re all going to have to come in droves.”
O’Leary Digital will hold an open house Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Grovedale Community Hall, about 12 miles south of Grand Prairie.
Grande Prairie is located approximately 390 kilometers northwest of Edmonton.
