Supply the whole operation.
New generation must cover computing, cooling and supporting equipment. Buying annual energy credits or reallocating supply already serving Islanders would not qualify.
AI data centres • A proposal for Charlottetown
Bring new power.
Protect our water.
Pay your own way.
Charlottetown should put firm rules in place before considering a major AI data centre. Any project must supply its own dependable electricity, contribute power to the Island, and use no local water for cooling.
A moratorium until the safeguards are in place. Approval only when every requirement is met.
01Bring new electricity
Meet the facility’s full demand with additional, dependable supply.
02Give the grid more
Commit a defined, dependable share of power for other Islanders.
03No local cooling water
No process wells. No evaporative cooling. No draw on our drinking water for cooling.
04Protect residents
The developer pays the project’s infrastructure costs.
The starting point
Our capacity has to come first.
Homes, businesses and public services need reliable electricity and water. A major new computing facility must demonstrate how it will protect those services before it can proceed.
Maritime Electric reports a 300 MW firm electricity import limit and a January 2026 peak demand of 404 MW. Those figures underline why dependable supply matters—not simply the rated capacity of the cables.
Conditions for consideration
What a developer would have to deliver.
Make dependable power available.
A binding export commitment must benefit PEI’s grid when power is needed. Occasional surplus electricity is not enough.
Cool without consuming local water.
Use sealed cooling with dry heat rejection or an equivalent water-saving design. No process wells or evaporative cooling, including in hot weather.
Fund the necessary infrastructure.
The developer pays attributable generation, connections, grid upgrades and municipal servicing costs, with protection against costs being left behind if the project closes.
Meet environmental standards.
Independent assessment of noise, emissions, fuel storage, fire risks and stormwater. Private generation must meet the rules for its actual operating use.
Prove it. Monitor it. Enforce it.
Independent review before approval, certification before operation, public reporting and enforceable consequences for non-compliance.
A benefit we can measure
Power for the project.
Power for PEI.
The discussion framework proposes dependable net export capacity equal to at least 20% of the facility’s approved total electrical demand.
The final requirement would be set after engineering and regulatory review. Export terms must identify how much power is available, when it can be called on and how delivery is verified.
If private generation fails, the operator must have an approved backup and load-reduction plan. It cannot simply assume the public grid will carry its full load.
Protect the water supply
Closed loop must mean no local water for cooling.
The rule must cover the entire cooling system and associated generation—not just the pipes inside the server room.
- No groundwater or municipal water for process cooling.
- No cooling towers, water sprays or hot-weather evaporative assistance.
- Local water for kitchens, washrooms, sanitation and fire protection only.
- Documented off-Island initial coolant supply and maintenance replacement, with leak containment and safe disposal.
The technology exists.
Microsoft describes data-centre designs that recirculate cooling liquid without evaporating water. The design must also account for its electricity requirements.
Every proposed project would still need independent verification of its actual cooling system.
Read Microsoft’s cooling overviewQuestions and answers
Clear conditions. A public process.
Is this a permanent ban on AI?
No. It is a proposed moratorium on new AI data centres until enforceable safeguards exist, followed by strict conditions for any covered development. It does not restrict residents or businesses from using AI tools.
Would ordinary office computers and server rooms be affected?
The framework excludes ordinary office computing and small incidental server rooms. Definitions would address dedicated computing facilities and major installations according to their actual use and resource demands, including related phases.
Must an operator build two fibre routes?
No municipal requirement for two routes is proposed. Physically diverse connections are a sound engineering and commercial practice. Connectivity is the operator’s responsibility, subject to applicable telecommunications law.
Can the City do all of this on its own?
The City would use its lawful planning and servicing powers and seek provincial enabling measures where needed. Electricity connections, exports and pricing also require the appropriate utility and regulatory arrangements. A Council motion alone would not suspend existing legal rights.
Could a project get an exception by promising jobs?
Employment and tax benefits deserve scrutiny, but they would not replace the mandatory electricity, water, environmental or public-cost safeguards.
Is this about a proposal at the Atlantic Technology Centre?
This policy is not an allegation about the Atlantic Technology Centre, its tenants or any identified project. It sets out the conditions Daniel proposes for future AI data-centre development in Charlottetown.
Daniel Mullen for Mayor
Development that earns its place.
Protect our water. Strengthen our electricity supply. Make the developer carry the cost.
Bring your questions to a Town HallProposed policy • October 2026. Final bylaws and agreements require legal, engineering and regulatory review and the applicable public approval process.
The Right Change.Right Now.