A Calgary committee will consider a proposal to stop officials from bringing new large data-center applications to Council, amid concerns about local resource demands and infrastructure.
The motion’s sponsors are Coun. Jennifer Wyness, Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, Coun. Andrew Yule, Coun. John Pantazopoulos and Mayor Jeromy Farkas. It asks Calgary Council to direct the city’s chief administrative officer not to bring new land-use redesignation applications for large-scale data centers forward for Council decisions while reports are prepared and possible bylaw amendments are considered. The proposal has not been adopted.
The notice requests a report for the March 2027 Public Hearing of Council on possible changes to Land Use Bylaw 1P2007. That work would consider definitions for data centers at different scales and suitable land-use districts. The motion also requests reports by Q4 2027 on the sector’s risks, implications and opportunities, and on how large-volume water users cumulatively affect water security.
The motion says Calgary’s land-use bylaw does not have a specific category for data centers. It characterizes smaller facilities as having resource demands similar to other commercial and industrial operations, while listing possible effects of large sites on water, electricity infrastructure, energy costs, noise, property values and community character. These are concerns raised in the motion, not findings from the requested reports.
Alberta’s AI Data Centres Strategy aims to attract investment, jobs and government revenue while prioritizing utility affordability and reliability.
The City of Calgary’s land-use dataset lists application LOC2026-0156, filed Aug. 13, as under review. Global News reported that the proposal involves a data center and power generation. The motion does not say whether its proposed direction would affect applications already under review.
The notice’s background names Rocky View County, Oakville, Cumberland, Saskatoon and Mississauga as municipalities that recently restricted data-center-related applications while considering further reporting or rule changes. Calgary’s Executive Committee is scheduled to consider the motion Nov. 3.
