KINGSTON, ON — Ontario Liberal Critic for Energy, Agriculture, Rural Affairs, Natural Resources,

Mining & Forestry, MPP Ted Hsu has issued the following statement in response to the Ford

government’s announcement of its Data Centre Playbook:

Ontarians have a lot of questions about data centres and what they mean for the environment, their

energy bills, and their communities. High-level documents alone won't answer those questions. We

have to have a serious and frank conversation about how we approach data centres, and today’s

release made it clear that Doug Ford is going to move forward with data centres. Ontario should be

competing for the jobs, investment and opportunities that come with AI and data centres. But growth

must work for the people and communities who live here.

Data centres can put enormous demands on local electricity, water and infrastructure. Municipalities

and residents deserve a real say in decisions that could have lasting impacts on their communities. A

30-day consultation cannot simply be a box-checking exercise before decisions are made at Queen’s

Park.

Doug Ford’s government does not have a good track record when it comes to listening to communities

before making major decisions. We’ve seen too many examples of decisions being made behind

closed doors, with Ontarians left to deal with the consequences afterward. Simply stating the potential

good doesn't tell the whole story.

If the government says data centres will pay their own way, protect ratepayers and deliver meaningful

benefits to host communities, then it needs to show Ontarians how it will guarantee that. Families and

businesses should not be subsidizing some of the largest technology companies in the world, and

communities should not be left carrying the costs of new demands on local infrastructure.

Ontario can attract investment and build the economy of the future while respecting the communities

that make our province strong. That means listening before decisions are made, being transparent

about who benefits, protecting our resources and ratepayers, and making sure Ontarians get a fair

deal.