Alberta's Leaked Pipeline Plans Spark Controversy Over AI Data Center Expansion
A leaked cabinet report has sparked controversy in Alberta over plans to overhaul the natural gas pipeline system. The document, obtained by The Narwhal, suggests changing regulations to bring all pipelines under provincial jurisdiction and creating Crown corporations to oversee the system and build new pipelines.
The proposed changes are aimed at supporting artificial intelligence data center construction, with the government eager to host these projects in the province. However, critics argue that the expansion is not just about data centers but also about increasing oil and gas production.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has downplayed the plans, stating that they are merely 'spitballing' and that the government would unlikely have to create a Crown corporation to build new pipelines. However, an internal government source claims that the cabinet report is moving forward regardless of Smith's statements.