Before the Data Centre Decision

Download it, add your local project, and send public officials a prepared resource from the public side of the conversation.

Developers rarely arrive at government meetings unprepared.

They bring lawyers, consultants, economic-impact studies, draft policy language, private briefings and clearly defined objectives. Public representatives and communities should have access to equally prepared material from the public side of the conversation.

That is the purpose of Before the Data Centre Decision: A Public-Interest Briefing Package for Municipal Representatives, Legislators and Communities.

Download the PDF file from Zenodo

Download the PDF file from the Internet Archive

The package can be downloaded, reviewed and sent directly to your local councillor, MLA, MPP, MNA, MHA, member of a territorial legislature or Member of Parliament. Doing so helps ensure that public officials receive more than the presentations and supporting material prepared by developers, industry associations, consultants and lobbyists.

The package does not ask officials to oppose data-cententre development. It gives them the questions, documents and decision standards needed to examine a proposal properly before approving land-use changes, infrastructure commitments, incentives or other irreversible decisions.

What the package contains

The briefing package includes:

• a short briefing for representatives preparing to meet with a developer;
• immediate precautions for public officials;
• a detailed question bank;
• examples of incomplete or narrowly framed answers;
• required follow-up questions;
• lists of documents needed to verify developer claims;
• a twelve-point public-interest decision checklist;
• links to model policies, legislative proposals and independent evidence; and
• a printable tracker for recording requested, received and missing documents.

The questions cover the complete project rather than only the computing buildings. They address ownership, land, electricity, generation, transmission, water, wastewater, sound, emissions, employment, subsidies, emergency response, data sovereignty, cumulative effects, monitoring, enforcement, closure and the final approval itself.

Not every issue falls within the authority of every public body.

Municipalities may control zoning, roads, servicing, setbacks, emergency response and local taxation while lacking authority over electricity markets, environmental-assessment thresholds, water allocation, foreign ownership or national security.

The package is therefore designed to help readers look in two directions:

• toward the developer and the project being proposed; and
• upward through the approval system to identify the provincial, territorial, federal or regulatory body responsible for unanswered questions and missing protections.

Lack of local jurisdiction should not end the inquiry. It should identify where the inquiry must go next.

How to use it

1. Download the PDF

Save a copy for your own review and send it to the public officials who may be involved in approving, servicing, regulating or funding a proposed data-centre development.

The PDF may be sent as a general resource even when no specific proposal is currently before the community. It can also be attached to a submission concerning an active project.

2. Identify the complete project

Do not limit the description to the building named in the current application.

Record, where known:

• the developer and applicant of record;
• the project location;
• all proposed phases;
• affiliated companies;
• associated land holdings;
• power generation;
• substations and transmission;
• natural-gas infrastructure;
• water supply and wastewater systems;
• roads and other public infrastructure;
• expected public incentives or commitments; and
• other related applications or approvals.

A project should be defined by what is required to build, operate, expand and eventually close it—not by how the developer divides its parcels, companies, permits or timelines.

3. Add a local project summary

When sending the package in relation to a specific proposal, attach a short project summary.

The summary should include:

Project name:
[Name used by the developer or approving body]

Developer or applicant:
[Company and known affiliated entities]

Location:
[Municipality, county, district or region]

Current decision:
[Rezoning, development permit, servicing agreement, tax incentive, utility connection, environmental approval or other decision]

Known associated infrastructure:
[Power generation, transmission, water systems, roads, pipelines, substations or future phases]

Main unanswered questions:
[List the most important missing information]

Government bodies involved:
[Municipal, provincial, territorial, federal, utility or regulatory authorities]

Requested action:
[Delay the decision, publish documents, obtain an independent assessment, refer an issue to another authority, establish protections or take another defined action]

Keep the summary factual. Clearly distinguish confirmed information from estimates, announcements and unanswered questions.

Draft cover letter

Use this letter when submitting the package as part of a formal written record.

Subject: Public-interest review resources for [project name]

Dear [Councillor, Reeve, Mayor, MLA, MP, Administrator or Committee Member],

I am submitting the attached Before the Data Centre Decision briefing package in relation to the proposed [project name] development in [location].

Developers and their consultants typically arrive with prepared presentations, economic-impact studies, policy proposals and clearly defined objectives. Public representatives should also have access to structured questions, independent evidence and public-interest decision standards before making commitments concerning land, infrastructure, utilities, taxation or regulatory approvals.

The package is not an argument for or against the project. It is a practical resource for identifying the complete development, requesting supporting documents, recognizing incomplete answers and determining which responsibilities belong to municipal, provincial, territorial or federal authorities.

For this proposal, I ask that particular attention be given to:

[Insert three to five project-specific concerns or unanswered questions.]

I also ask that written responses, supporting studies, approval conditions and outstanding information be placed on the public record before an irreversible decision is made.

Where an issue falls outside your jurisdiction, please identify the responsible government, regulator or public body and formally refer the matter to it.

Thank you for reviewing this material and ensuring that the public-interest record is as prepared as the developer’s submission.

Sincerely,

[Name]
[Community or organization, where applicable]
[Contact information]

Draft email

Use this shorter version when sending the package directly to an elected representative or administrator.

Subject: A public-interest resource for reviewing data-centre proposals

Hello [Name],

I am sending you Before the Data Centre Decision, a public-interest briefing package for representatives and communities reviewing large data-centre developments.

Developers commonly arrive with professional presentations, consultants, economic modelling and draft policy language. This package helps ensure that public officials also receive prepared material from the public side of the conversation.

It includes questions to ask, documents to request, examples of incomplete answers, a decision-readiness checklist and resources covering electricity, water, sound, ownership, employment, infrastructure, data sovereignty and other public responsibilities.

The package does not take a position for or against a particular project. It asks that the complete development be understood and that public costs, responsibilities and protections be identified before irreversible commitments are made.

For the proposed [project name], I am particularly concerned about:

[Insert two or three concise concerns.]

Please review the attached package and place the relevant questions and document requests before the developer and responsible authorities.

Thank you,

[Name]

Use it before the decision

The most useful time to send this material is before the project has been reduced to a yes-or-no vote.

Send it when:

• a project is first announced;
• land is being assembled or rezoned;
• utility capacity is being discussed;
• public incentives are being considered;
• draft bylaws or agreements are being prepared;
• environmental or infrastructure studies are underway;
• a public hearing has been scheduled; or
• officials are being asked to make commitments before the complete project is known.

The goal is not to overwhelm the process. It is to prevent important questions from being discovered only after the public has lost the power to ask them effectively.

A polished presentation is not evidence.

A projected benefit is not a guarantee.

A voluntary promise is not an enforceable condition.

Public officials should never enter a data-centre decision armed only with the developer’s script.

Before the Data Centre Decision was compiled by Lawrence Nault and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. It may be downloaded, shared and adapted with attribution.