Kevin Oleary Project Clears Early Hurdle as Opposition Mounts Over Indus Data Centre Power Plant
kevin oleary is at the center of a proposed natural gas-powered project near Indus that has moved past a federal review step even as opposition grows. On March 9, 2026, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada said the Indus Power project would not require a full federal impact assessment at this stage. The proposal, tied to a planned Beacon AI data centre hub southeast of Chestermere, has drawn 97 submissions, and every one raised opposition or concern.
The project would place a 1, 494-megawatt natural gas generating facility about two kilometres northwest of Indus, with up to 100 reciprocating engine generators, exhaust treatment systems, and cooling infrastructure. The facility is expected to operate for up to 25 years and is intended to supply energy to the broader Beacon AI development. Rocky View County council approved an Area Structure Plan in June 2025 covering about 900 acres of land redesignated for data centre use.
Federal Review Ends, But the Fight Does Not
the potential environmental effects could be managed through existing legislation, including the Migratory Birds Convention Act, the Species at Risk Act, and Alberta’s environmental regulatory framework. That decision shifts oversight largely to provincial authorities, including the Alberta Utilities Commission, which will determine whether the power plant proceeds and under what conditions.
The public response, however, has been sharply negative. The 97 submissions included concerns about water use, air emissions, land use, and the broader implications of artificial intelligence infrastructure. The volume of opposition shows that the federal decision may have closed one door, but it has not eased pressure around the project.
What Residents and Indigenous Communities Are Raising
Several residents warned about the site’s possible daily water demand, with estimates in submissions reaching about 1. 5 million litres of potable water. Others pointed to the location near schools and community spaces, while questioning the long-term impact on agricultural land in the region. Indigenous communities also raised alarms over traditional territories and cumulative effects tied to increased industrial activity.
Letters submitted by Tsuut’ina Nation and other Blackfoot Confederacy nations, including Siksika Nation, Kainai Nation, and Piikani Nation, cited environmental and cumulative concerns. Residents also said they want more information on environmental studies, wildlife impact, and long-term sustainability before the project advances further.
Kevin Oleary and the Wider Alberta Backlash
kevin oleary appears in the center of a broader debate now stretching beyond one power plant. In another federal-level development tied to the same Alberta data centre push, the province moved to skip a separate environmental review for a project described as the world’s largest AI data centre, intensifying criticism over scale, water use, and energy demand.
Beacon Data Centres acknowledged community feedback and said consultation remains ongoing as the project moves through regulatory stages. For Chestermere and surrounding communities, the issue now sits at the intersection of fast-moving technology investment and long-standing concerns over land, water, and rural character. With the federal review complete, the next decisive steps will come from provincial regulators, and kevin oleary remains a central name in a project that is still facing heavy public resistance.
