“Steel, concrete, and code”: Feds and Telus announce three AI data centres in BC | BetaKit

What??? I was thinking that they’d stick such a thing somewhere like Castlegar, where there’s already power generation and no potential for water and energy shortages, plus a community benefit for the added jobs.

Sticking it in the most expensive real estate in BC, where there’s already water rationing and a heavy drain on power generation?

I fail to see ANY upsides.

Fuck this.

Look, we do need data centres in Canada. I'm tried of only being able to rent servers in the US or Europe. We have a couple, but not enough to meet the demand needed to drop Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.

However, this is a stupid choice. There are a fuckton of places in Canada with abundant resources/water, lowish population density, and educated people. Pick one of those.

Telus’ existing KIDC Kamloops data centre holds up to 12,500 GPUs and is capable of generating up to 25 megawatts of power. Its M3 Vancouver facility will be of similar scope, with 13,000 GPUs planned and an output of 26 megawatts. Its downtown location, however, will scale significantly higher, housing more than 50,000 GPUs at a facility capable of generating up to 100 megawatts of power.

This wording has to be a mistake. Datacentres don’t generate power. They consume it.

BC has been net buying energy from the USA the last 3-4 years. Expectation is that drought from climate change will crater hydro production in the coming years. BC Hydro is already in low key panic about energy in the province. Second or third call to power in as many years. So the government approves $9B data centers to create 500 jobs instead of funding schools, healthcare, and transportation infrastructure. FFS.

Meh, I don't trust telus for anything 'canadian' anymore. Email with Telus! .... oh, it's google / microsoft. VoIP with Telus! .... oh, it's RingCentral.

These datacenters will somehow just be a thin veneer for a US outsourced arrangement, with Telus functioning as a Canadian frontman.

The interior is facing one of the worst summers in decades. Hot, dry weather and water restrictions everywhere. Not entirely sure hyper-thirsty data centres are such a good idea unless their cooling systems are mostly closed.