NOTICE to Olds Residents: PETITION & INFORMATION CAMPAIGN
Members of Little Town Big Data will be visiting neighbourhoods in Olds over the coming days to share information regarding the proposed local data centre projects.
Our volunteers love our community and are fully committed to keeping it clean and peaceful. We are strictly adhering to the Town of Olds Community Standards Bylaw No. 2024-32.
Our Promise to You:
• We will always respect "No Flyers" and "No Soliciting" signs.
• We will ensure all materials are tucked securely into door handles or slots so they do not create litter.
• We will only visit during respectful daytime hours.
If you have a posted sign and we accidentally missed it, or if you prefer we skip your home, please send us a message and we will update our volunteer route maps immediately. Thank you for your time and your voice!
PLEASE CONTACT 403-507-1199 for more info
How to Submit a SIP for Olds, Alberta
Click: ‘Access Here’ on the Access to the eFiling System
Create a New Personal Account
Login to your email to confirm the account
Login and Continue to eFiling
In the ‘Go To’ search bar, search for: 30732
Click ‘Register’ to participate and acknowledge and agree to the AUC privacy policy and select ‘Intervener’ as your ‘Registration Type’
Fill in the Statement of Intent to Participate and Save to submit
Submit a Statement of Intent to Participate (SIP) to the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to explain why the proposed data centre and power plant should not be located within town limits.
Please Note
You do not need to live within the 1,000 m buffer zone to file a SIP (you can leave that section unselected).
The AUC will focus primarily on impacts of the proposed thermal power plant.
Anyone can submit an SIP, regardless of location.
The AUC site is not suited for cell phones - we encourage people to use a laptop for an easier SIP submission
Proposed Project: Synapse Data Centre
The Synapse Data Centre project, proposing a ~1 GW AI data centre campus and a 1.4 GW natural gas power plant on roughly 300 acres (121 hectares) has drawn strong opposition in Olds because of its close proximity to residences.
The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) rejected the initial application in March 2026 due to deficiencies. Synapse has since reapplied and the new submission is under review.
It is argued that the project is unsuitable for its in-town location near homes, an agricultural college, wetlands, and farmland for these key reasons:
Proximity to residential areas and incompatible zoning
Noise concerns, including infrasound and backup generators
Air pollution and emissions from the gas plant
Insufficient Emergency Preparedness Plan and lack of consultation with county and emergency service providers
Limited public consultation and transparency
High water demand and resource strain
Incomplete environmental and impact assessments
Traffic, infrastructure, and municipal capacity pressures
Project scale and long-term risks outweigh local benefits