• Alberta’s Smith takes questions at less rowdy AI town hall, NDP calls for freeze

  Source: Alberta - Provincial Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 12:31:14.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Technology, Energy, Infrastructure, Economy]

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her ministers held a virtual town hall with over 12,500 participants to address public concerns regarding the rapid development of artificial intelligence data centres, such as the proposed $13-billion Meta campus north of Edmonton. Amid criticisms regarding heavy water consumption, power grid reliability, and residential proximity setbacks—which recently prompted a provincial regulator to reject a project in the town of Olds—the provincial government is evaluating regulatory frameworks and setback guidelines. Meanwhile, Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called for a province-wide moratorium on new artificial intelligence data centres until stricter rules, impact assessments, and life-cycle reclamation plans are established.

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• Danielle Smith rejects taxing oil exports, pushes increased diplomacy efforts with U.S.

  Source: Global News Politics
  Date: 2026-08-27 00:36:23.0
  Tags: [Alberta, National, Trade, Energy, Economy]

  Alberta Premier Danielle Smith publicly rejected proposals to tax oil exports to the United States amidst escalating trade tensions, advocating instead for increased diplomatic engagement. Smith emphasized that the United States possesses the economic leverage to severely impact Canada's energy sector and warned that retaliatory trade measures could disrupt critical energy supply chains and harm national economic stability.

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