Knowledge is power
Resources
Documents, links, and tools to help you understand and respond to data centre development in Alberta.
We've gathered the most useful materials in one place — from government filings and research reports to advocacy toolkits and community organisations fighting for transparency.
Documents & Reports
Top 6 Concerns — Topics to Bring Up or Discuss in Filing a Complaint to the Regulatory Bodies
A community guide covering the six key concern areas to raise when filing a Statement of Concern with regulatory bodies. Use these posters as a reference to help you write a thorough, well-rounded submission.
Data Centres 101 — Understanding the Basics
A beginner's guide to data centres: what they are, why they're making headlines, and the main types — from enterprise and colocation facilities to hyperscale, edge, modular, and crypto-mining operations. Produced by the Alberta Transparency Project.
Ground Zero — What You Need to Know & Who is Who?
A quick-reference guide to the regulatory acronyms and oversight structures involved in a data centre application in Alberta. Each provincial regulator oversees only a portion of an application — to oppose one project, you may need to participate four separate times in four different ways.
Project Timeline
When Data Centre developers are trying to cut you out of the process.
Municipal Planning 101 — How Land-use Bylaws Happen at the Local Level
A simple guide to understanding local zoning, land rules, and how you can have a voice.
The Community Playbook — A Guide to Help Fight Data Centres
Many communities have reached out looking for guidance on how to navigate a Data Centre project that is slated for their community. This is a universal guide that we created, based on our own experience in fighting and successfully stopping the Synapse project in Olds, AB.
Stelfox Exhibit: AI/DC Environmental Adverse Effects
Expert exhibit documenting the environmental adverse effects of AI data centres submitted to regulatory proceedings.
CAPE Data Centres and Health Facts
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment fact sheet on the health impacts of data centre development, including air quality, noise, water use, and community well-being.
ViewCAPE The Health Impacts of Industrial Data Centres
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment full report on the health impacts of industrial data centres, covering emissions, noise pollution, water consumption, and risks to surrounding communities.
ViewInfrasound Impacts
Research and documentation on the health and environmental impacts of infrasound generated by industrial data centres, including effects on nearby residents and communities.
ViewData Centers Increase EMF Exposure — Health Risks Explained
A comprehensive review from Environmental Health Sciences examining how data centres and their associated electrical infrastructure — high-voltage power lines, substations, and transformers — increase electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in surrounding communities. Covers links to childhood leukemia, brain cancer, miscarriage, Alzheimer's, and other conditions documented in peer-reviewed research; the gap between industry safety standards and the exposure levels where health effects are observed; dirty electricity and harmonic distortion from data centre loads; and the contrast between U.S. inaction and precautionary policies in the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Israel, and a dozen other countries. Includes specific recommendations for EMF disclosure, setback planning, and mitigation measures that should be required during the AUC approval process.
VisitHealth Implications of the Rapid Rise of Data Centers: An Exploratory Assessment
A peer-reviewed mini-review published in Frontiers in Climate (February 2026) by researchers at George Mason University's Center for Climate Change Communication — described by the authors as the first-of-its-kind assessment of the public health implications of data centre expansion. Using Virginia's Data Center Alley (which handles 70% of the world's internet traffic) as a case study, the paper documents five health risk pathways: air pollution from fossil fuel power and diesel backup generators; water consumption and wastewater contamination from cooling systems (Northern Virginia data centres used nearly 2 billion gallons of water in 2023, a 63% increase since 2019); noise pollution from 24/7 operations linked to cardiovascular disease, cognitive harm in children, and sleep disruption; large-scale land conversion that destroys green space and displaces rural communities; and rising electricity costs that force low-income households to choose between energy, food, and healthcare. The paper projects that data centre power demand will grow 160% by 2030, and that residential energy bills near major hubs could rise $14–33/month by 2040. Recommendations include renewable energy mandates, water recycling requirements, acoustic setbacks, responsible zoning, equitable rate structures, and Community Benefit Agreements — all directly applicable to Alberta's AUC approval process.
VisitGoverning Agencies
Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC)
The independent regulator of Alberta's electric and natural gas utilities, and certain aspects of the water utility sector.
VisitAlberta Environment and Protected Areas
Provincial ministry responsible for environmental protection, conservation, and land-use planning in Alberta.
VisitAdvocacy Tools
AI Toolkit for Advocates
A practical guide to using AI tools to research data centre proposals, draft letters to officials, and organise community responses.
ViewLetter Template: Contact Your Officials
A ready-to-use letter template you can send to your MLA, municipal councillor, or provincial minister about data centre concerns.
ViewHow to Participate in AUC Hearings
Step-by-step guidance on how community members can register as interveners and participate in Alberta Utilities Commission regulatory hearings.
ViewNDP Data Centre Blueprint
The Alberta NDP's official data centre policy blueprint — outlining proposed regulations, community protections, environmental standards, and accountability measures for data centre development in Alberta.
ViewData Centre Directory
Datacenters.com — Alberta Listings
A comprehensive global directory of data centre facilities. Filter by Alberta to see approved, under-construction, and proposed facilities across the province.
VisitAlberta Major Projects — Data Centres
The Government of Alberta's official Major Projects registry. Search for data centre projects to view submitted applications, project details, and approval status.
VisitAUC — Facility Applications
The Alberta Utilities Commission's public registry of facility permit applications, including power lines and substations tied to data centre developments.
VisitAlberta Land Titles — Parcel Search
Search land title records to identify ownership and recent transactions on parcels where data centres are proposed or under development.
VisitAlberta Data Centre Watch
A community-driven watchdog site tracking data centre proposals, approvals, and impacts across Alberta. Covers news, project updates, and resources for concerned residents and municipalities.
VisitData Centers Done Right
A social advocacy hub uniting Alberta communities opposing unregulated hyperscale data centres. Provides information, resources, and community engagement tools in support of provincial oversight and regulatory frameworks for data centre development.
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