{"slug": "mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to", "title": "MP calls on New Brunswick to reject proposed AI data centre in open letter to premier", "summary": "Conservative MP John Williamson called on New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt to reject Beacon Data Centers' proposed AI data centre in Saint John, warning in an open letter that the facility's 200-megawatt grid demand would overwhelm NB Power and raise electricity rates for nearby residents. Williamson criticized Holt for promoting the project at a Toronto investment summit before it received provincial approval, while the province said any data centre must cover the costs it creates without raising rates. Beacon AI says the project requires 390 megawatts and could generate up to 190 megawatts on site; Williamson said the company \"balked\" when he raised self-generation in a meeting months ago.", "body_md": "FREDERICTON — A New Brunswick member of Parliament is calling on the provincial government to reject a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Saint John, warning that it could overwhelm the power grid.\n\nConservative MP John Williamson says the proposed AI centre will trigger electricity rate hikes for nearby residents.\n\nWilliamson says the public utility NB Power lacks the necessary capacity to handle the facility's demand for 200 megawatts from the grid.\n\nHe laid out his opposition to Beacon Data Centers' project in a letter to Liberal Premier Susan Holt.\n\nThe New Brunswick Southwest MP also criticized Holt for highlighting the data centre project at a major Toronto investment summit earlier this week, even though it hasn't received provincial government approval.\n\nThe New Brunswick government says any new data centre must pay for the costs it creates and cannot lead to higher electricity rates.\n\nBeacon AI says its project requires 390 megawatts of energy and that it could produce up to 190 megawatts on site.\n\nWilliamson said the company wasn't interested in generating all of its own power.\n\n\"I met with them and I raised this and they balked,\" he told The Canadian Press in an interview Friday, referencing a meeting he had with the company a several months ago.\n\nThat's why, he said, he wants the province \"playing hardball\" with companies that want to build data centres so that ratepayers are shielded from major price hikes.\n\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2026.\n\nEli Ridder, The Canadian Press", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to", "canonical_source": "https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/mp-calls-brunswick-reject-proposed-203607299.html", "published_at": "2026-09-18 20:36:07+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-09-18 20:53:48.241250+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-infrastructure", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["John Williamson", "New Brunswick", "Beacon Data Centers", "Beacon AI", "NB Power", "Susan Holt", "Saint John", "The Canadian Press"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/mp-calls-on-new-brunswick-to-reject-proposed-ai-data-centre-in-open-letter-to.jsonld"}}