An oil and gas company’s application to develop a bitcoin data processing centre on one of its existing developments in the County of Stettler will be delayed a few months so neighbours can provide input. The decision was made at the regular meeting of the Municipal Planning Commission (MPC) Sept. 25.
The MPC is comprised of members of county council and was chaired at that meeting by Coun. Justin Stevens.
Manager of Planning and Development Craig Teal presented board members with a development permit application from Allan De Paiva for a power generation and data processing at a site located at SW36-37-17 W4; the owner was described in the application as Logic Energy.
Teal began his presentation by reminding the board they had the option of debating a discretionary application like this one in private if they wish.
“The subject property is located 2.5 miles west of the eastern border of the County of Stettler on Range Rd 17-0 in the Botha-Gadsby district,” stated Teal’s report to the board. “The site is currently used as an oil and gas site and has been for several decades.
The applicant is proposing to install a Gasmine250 air natural gas generator set. The generator has a maximum output of 250 kw. The threshold for requiring a permit to generate power through the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) is 1 mw of power produced.
“The applicant has provided notification in writing from the AUC that they do not require a permit for this project. A noise study was performed for the applicant and was prepared by FDI Acoustics.
The surrounding property is mostly agricultural with one dwelling located one kilometre northeast of the subject property.
“The generator will be fuelled by surplus solution gas from the facility. This will reduce or eliminate the need to flare off the solution. The generator will power a group of bitcoin miners, and it is estimated the amount of fuel to run the installation will be 1,537 metres cubed per day.” Generally, data mining centres run 24-hours per day.
Much of the board discussion revolved around the results of the consultant’s noise study; different standards were also discussed, especially the permissible nighttime maximum of 40db.
In the report Teal included a table from the consultants, table 5, that predicted if the application was approved the nighttime sound level at the one kilometre distant residence would never reach 40db.
Coun. Les Stulberg asked if it’s possible this development could be expanded in the future to which Teal responded, “Could be.” However, Teal pointed out future possibilities aren’t factors to be included in an MPC decision.
Reeve Larry Clarke asked if neighbouring residents were notified of this application. Teal responded with discretionary uses like the one in question, such notification is not required.
Clarke stated he had been on the applicant’s property about a month ago, “…and just kind of the state of their whole operation is…it looks like it could use a board inspector to come out and take a look.
“I’m not sure what the answer would be if the residents in that area were polled though…with this company’s record.”
Teal responded that neighbours don’t make MPC decisions, the board members make them.
He stated that staff recommended approving the application with some conditions, including a 2029 expiration, a mandatory noise test during actual data centre operation that must be delivered to the County of Stettler by September 2025 and data centre equipment must be that named in the application.
“So you can’t just swap out the equipment,” said Teal. “If you do that your permit is no longer valid.”
Teal then again reminded the board members they could debate the application in closed session. That’s what board members decided to do; they discussed the application in private for about 50 minutes before re-entering the public meeting.
Board members then passed a resolution to defer this application to the November MPC meeting to give neighbours a chance to provide input.
Stu Salkeld
Local Journalism Initiative reporter
ECA Review
