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Goldfinch Technology Park Data Centre

Goldfinch proposes air-based cooling without process water, but it would still need water for staff and fire protection. The final concept plan targets phase openings in 2029, 2031, and 2033, with a development permit required before each phase can be built. Power remains an unresolved part of the proposal: the plan describes grid supply, while the provincial registry lists an off-site power plant that has not been identified in the reviewed project documents.

Diode Ventures
How to read this profilePublic recordProponent statementProponent projectionProponent projectionA forecast, target, estimate, or promised future outcome from the company proposing the project.The label identifies whose projection it is. It does not turn a future claim into an independently verified result or an enforceable approval condition.Learn more →ADCW context

Project facts

Core scale, approval, employment, and schedule information, labelled by the type of evidence available.

Public record

Planning area

Approximately 576 acres (233 hectares)

The June notice gives 576.34 acres. The marker represents the planning area, not a surveyed building location.

Sources [2]
Proponent statement

Developer

Diode Ventures

Diode describes itself as a Black & Veatch subsidiary that prepares the site for a future end user.

Sources [3]
ADCW context

Future operator and workload

Not confirmedSources [3]
Public record

Planning decision

August 11, 2026

The final consolidated Goldfinch plan records the Diode area concept plan as adopted under Bylaw 2025-32.

Sources [1]
Public record

Planning category

Medium Industrial

The adopted ASP says this category may include technology centres and associated power generation or energy-conversion systems. It is a planning framework, not approval of a final on-site power design.

Sources [1]
Proponent projection

Proposed phase openings

2029, 2031, and 2033

The final concept plan targets three phases, with full build-out in 2033. Each needs a development permitDevelopment permitA municipality's approval allows a specified use or development on a particular site, subject to its land-use rules and any conditions.Separate provincial or utility approvals may still be needed. A permit does not establish that construction has begun or that the facility is operating.Learn more → before construction, and timing may change with power availability and market conditions. These are targets, not confirmed opening dates.

Sources [7]
ADCW context

Registry schedule

2028–2036 listed; basis unresolved

Alberta Major Projects lists this range without explaining how it relates to the concept plan's opening targets. Construction and opening dates may describe different milestones; no supporting revised schedule was identified.

Sources [9], [7]

Energy and emissions

The grid request establishes a proposed connection scale, not a commissioned facility or a guaranteed supply date.

Important distinction: 650 MW plus 300 MW equals the 950 MW request. These are stages of the same project and must not be counted again as separate campuses or added to the total. MW is capacity, not annual electricity consumption.
Public record

AESO request

P3102: 650 MW + 300 MW

Goldfinch Technology Park MPC Load, Stage 2. Both DTS stages have in-service dates under review in the August 2026 list.

Sources [4]
Proponent statement

Final supply and grid upgrades

Grid supply proposed; arrangements unresolved

The final concept plan says AESO studies will determine whether grid upgrades or new generation are needed and when the site could connect. A grid requestGrid connection requestA request for new or changed electricity delivery capacity through the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO).Requested capacity is not measured electricity use, a guaranteed connection, or approval to build a data centre.Learn more → does not guarantee electricity supply or a connection date.

Sources [7], [5]
ADCW context

Off-site power plant

Registry claim not corroborated

Alberta Major Projects describes an independently funded off-site plant. The final concept plan instead describes AESO-coordinated supply and on-site emergency backup. No named plant, location, capacity, or supply agreement was identified in the reviewed project documents. The registry description does not establish a confirmed power source.

Sources [9], [7], [8]
Proponent statement

Backup generationBackup generationBackup generators provide electricity when the normal supply is unavailable. They may also run for testing or maintenance.Installed capacity does not establish continuous operation, annual fuel use, or emissions. Operating hours and permit conditions are separate evidence.Learn more →

On-site emergency backup proposed

The plan proposes generators to keep the campus running during grid outages. Their number, capacity, specifications, fuel, and operating hours remain unconfirmed, leaving neighbours unable to assess the final backup-power impacts.

Sources [7]
ADCW context

Annual electricity use and emissions

Not quantified

No project-specific MWh/year or tonnes CO₂e/year estimate was identified. Connection capacity alone cannot establish either.

Sources [4], [3]

Water

The final concept plan proposes cooling without process water. That would reduce cooling-water needs, but it does not make the site water-free: staff facilities and fire protection still need a supply. Detailed cooling equipment, final water demand, and supply approvals remain to be confirmed. [7]

Proponent statement

Cooling technology

Air-based cooling proposed

Section 4.4 of the final concept plan proposes mechanical air cooling without process water. Policy 7.3.4 still requires cooling systems and any media or chemicals to be confirmed at the development-permit stage. Detailed equipment and performance are not established.

Sources [7]
Proponent projection

Domestic water demand

About 11,200 L/day estimated

The planning estimate assumes about 100 staff and covers everyday needs such as drinking water and washrooms. It is not measured use or a complete final site water balance; demand will be checked during detailed design.

Sources [7]
Proponent projection

Fire-water storage

About 1.375 million litres proposed

This is a preliminary reservoir volume for fire protection, not daily water consumptionWithdrawal, consumption, and dischargeWithdrawal is water taken from a source. Consumption is the portion not returned to the same water system. Discharge is water released after use or treatment.These are different quantities. Check which one a water figure describes before comparing projects.Learn more →. The stored supply would support emergency response independently of the supply source during a fire. Final sizing remains a permit-stage decision.

Sources [7]
Proponent statement

Water supply and approvals

County raw water or on-site wells proposed

The plan considers extending the County's raw-water line about 800 metres or using groundwater wells for domestic and fire-water needs. A proposed connection is not an approved allocation. The final source, authorizations, and full water balance remain unconfirmed.

Sources [7], [6]
ADCW context

Cooling statements differ

Final plan is more specific than developer updates

Diode's September 3, 2026 announcement leaves cooling selection open and excludes local groundwater and surface waters for cooling. Its project FAQ also leaves the system open. The final concept plan expressly proposes air-based cooling without process water. ADCW records that proposal while keeping final equipment unconfirmed.

Sources [7], [8], [3]
Proponent statement

Rainwater and snowmelt

On-site containment proposed

The final plan proposes four stormwater facilities to manage runoff on site without relying on off-site discharge. Final sizing and any alternative approach require further technical work and applicable approvals, protecting nearby land and irrigation infrastructure.

Sources [7]

Noise

Noise studies are a future permit requirement, not evidence of demonstrated operating performance. The reviewed sources contain no numerical receptor results.

Proponent statement

Noise-impact assessment

Required at each development-permit stage

WSP's June submission describes this requirement. Numerical receptor tables were not found in the reviewed public package.

Sources [2]
Proponent statement

Mitigation

Proposed, not verified

Diode lists berms, landscaping, sound barriers, generator enclosures and mufflers as possible measures. Final specifications and measured performance are not available.

Sources [3]

Indigenous context

Data centre projects sit within treaty territories and places with longstanding First Nations and Métis connections. This section brings together the public record on treaty geography, Indigenous ownership, consultation, and community concerns. Treaty boundaries alone cannot tell us which communities may be affected or how they view a project.

ADCW context

Treaty geography

Treaty 7 territory

Geographic context only. It does not establish consultation, consent or a community's position on this proposal.

Sources [10]
ADCW context

Project-specific consultation

Not established in reviewed sources

Participants, concerns, outcomes and accommodation measures were not identified.

Sources [2], [3]

Approval and public process

Land-use planning, a development permit and construction are separate steps. Wheatland County's final consolidated Goldfinch plan records the Diode area concept plan as adopted under Bylaw 2025-32 on August 11, 2026. It also places technology centres, including associated power generation or energy-conversion systems, within the Medium Industrial policy category. The County archive label and PDF filename say 2026-32, but that number does not appear inside the final plan.

Public record

Final planning instrument

Goldfinch ASP and Diode ACP adopted

The final consolidated plan records the Diode area concept plan as adopted under Bylaw 2025-32 on August 11, 2026. The County archive label and PDF filename call the document Bylaw 2026-32, but the plan itself uses 2025-32. ADCW follows the number printed inside the final plan.

Sources [1]
ADCW context

Next permit stage

Discretionary development permit

The final concept plan requires an approved development permit for each phase before construction. ADCW has not verified an issued project-specific development permit.

Sources [7]
Proponent statement

Detailed design

Still to be submitted

Diode identifies site layout, buildings, noise, servicing and construction timing as later permit details.

Sources [3]
Public record

Infrastructure cost framework

Off-site levies and development agreements

The adopted ASP says developers will fund utility and road improvements that benefit future development. Front-ending, cost recovery and cost-sharing may apply. No Goldfinch-specific amount or agreement is disclosed.

Sources [1]

Timeline

Observed decisions and future dates are kept distinct; projected milestones may change.

  1. Public record

    Application date recorded by AESO for P3102. [4]

  2. Public record

    County notice schedules a July 7 public hearing on the planning proposal. [2]

  3. Public record

    AESO's updated list records Stage 2 and both in-service dates under review. [4][5]

  4. Public record

    Wheatland County adopted the Diode Ventures Data Centre Area Concept Plan within the final consolidated Goldfinch Industrial Area Structure Plan. This planning instrument is not a project-specific development permit. [1]

  5. Proponent statement

    Diode reports the land-use milestone, continued AESO planning, and a commitment not to use local groundwater or surface waters for cooling. It says cooling systems are still to be selected. [8]

  6. Proponent projection

    Phase 1 opening targeted in the final concept plan, subject to permits, infrastructure availability, and further design. [7]

  7. Proponent projection

    Phase 2 opening targeted; a separate development permit is required before construction. [7]

  8. Proponent projection

    Phase 3 opening and full build-out targeted. The schedule may change and is not a guaranteed operating date. [7]

What we still don't know

Some details have not been made public or remain unresolved. We keep those gaps visible and update them when reliable information becomes available.

  • An issued development permit, approved building layout, conditions and construction start have not been verified.
  • The future operator, tenants, workload and contracted compute capacity remain undisclosed.
  • Final grid connection dates, network upgrades, cost allocation, and power-supply contracts are not confirmed. The off-site plant listed by Alberta Major Projects remains unidentified in the reviewed project documents.
  • Detailed cooling equipment, the final water source and authorization, the full site water balance, and final wastewater arrangements remain unresolved.
  • No numerical noise receptor assessment or final generator and cooling-equipment specifications were found.
  • Project-specific annual electricity consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions and backup-generator air emissions are not quantified.
  • The June public package lists supporting technical reports but does not reproduce them all. Listing a report does not establish its findings.
  • Project-specific Indigenous consultation outcomes and enforceable cleanup security were not found. The relationship between the concept plan’s phase targets and the registry’s 2028–2036 schedule remains unexplained.

Source record

Primary and official sources reviewed for this profile. Company disclosures support what the company said, not independent verification of future outcomes.

  1. Goldfinch Industrial Area Structure Plan, final consolidated plan

    Wheatland County · Municipal record · Adopted 2026-08-11; accessed 2026-09-09

  2. PL2025-005: June public-hearing notice, WSP submission letter and conceptual maps

    Wheatland County / WSP for Diode Ventures · Municipal record · 2026-06-03; submission letter 2026-06-01

  3. Goldfinch project updates

    Diode Ventures · Company disclosure · Accessed 2026-08-30

  4. August 2026 Connection Project List: P3102, row 173

    Alberta Electric System Operator · Regulator · 2026-08-05

  5. Connection Project Reporting

    Alberta Electric System Operator · Regulator · Updated 2026-08-05; accessed 2026-08-30

  6. Goldfinch Raw Water Line

    Wheatland County · Municipal record · Accessed 2026-08-30

  7. Diode Ventures Data Centre Area Concept Plan, final: sections 4.4, 4.7, 7.1, and policy 7.3.4

    Wheatland County / WSP for Diode Ventures · Municipal record · Cover: August 2026; County file label: 2026-09-11 Final; accessed 2026-10-08

  8. Goldfinch Technology Park reaches land use milestone in Wheatland County

    Diode Ventures · Company disclosure · 2026-09-03; accessed 2026-10-08

  9. Goldfinch Technology Park: provincial registry description

    Government of Alberta / Alberta Major Projects · Government database · Accessed 2026-10-08; update date not established

  10. Treaty Boundary dataset

    Government of Canada Open Government Portal · Government database · Modified 2026-06-29