Young urges caution; notes New York halting large AI data centres

Gail Alexander

Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young has urged the Government to proceed cautiously with its proposed artificial intelligence data centre projects, pointing to New York’s decision to pause construction of large facilities over concerns about their impact on power and water resources.

Meanwhile, several business operators, particularly in south Trinidad, said town hall meetings should be held before any projects proceed. They said independent experts should explain the potential economic and environmental impacts, while agencies such as the Environmental Management Authority should also weigh in.

The calls came after New York became the first US state to impose a one-year moratorium on the construction of new data centres with power demands of 50 megawatts or more. According to Reuters, the measure follows concerns that the rapid expansion of AI facilities is increasing electricity costs, straining water supplies and placing additional pressure on local communities.

Last week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar announced two memorandums of understanding to begin discussions on large-scale AI infrastructure. The proposals include a 300-megawatt data centre and supporting infrastructure, as well as a 150-megawatt AI infrastructure and data centre facility with potential expansion to 500 megawatts.

Reacting to the development, Young described New York’s decision as “a timely warning” for Trinidad and Tobago.

“This is a timely warning for TT. Our electricity grid and water production cannot support any large-scale (hyperscale) data centres. We also need to know what concessions are being asked for,” he said.

He also pointed to the country’s subsidised electricity system and T&TEC’s longstanding debt to the National Gas Company.

“Our electricity is highly subsidised and T&TEC has been unable to pay NGC for the gas used to generate the electricity for years. Billions of dollars are owing.”

Young said the Government must provide greater transparency on the proposed projects.

“There are many legitimate questions and concerns that require answers and details to be provided by the Kamla Persad Bissessar government, including who is really winning in this.”

The business operators also said residents should be fully informed of any environmental impacts before projects move ahead.

They pointed to reports from the United States, including concerns in Georgia over land acquisition linked to powering AI data centres, and said citizens should be allowed to question experts about developments that could affect their communities.