Travers AI Data Centre Campus
A proposed campus near Travers Reservoir with a planning target of up to 2 GW of computing load.
Vulcan County rezoned 594.55 acres in June 2026, allowing a development-permit application. That decision is challenged through judicial review; the reviewed filing contains allegations, not adjudicated findings. Rezoning does not approve the campus, utility infrastructure, water use, or construction.
Where it stands
Separate approval tracks, not a construction progress bar. Record last verified 2026-09-17.
The filing scheduled the originating application for September 29, 2026. That date has passed; this record does not verify what happened or establish a new court date or public participation window. The approvals topic preserves the filing's allegations and requested relief. See the approval and participation record ↓
Power and emissionsCampus demand, electricity supply, and emissions evidence
The concept describes a new 500 kV substation, two transmission feeds, a large battery system and diesel emergency 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 →. None of those elements should be read as built, contracted or finally approved.
Important distinction: 2,000 MW is a proponent planning target for IT load. It is not an AESO connection approval, an operating measurement or proof that all four phases will be built.
IT load: Up to 2,000 MW. A full-build planning target, divided into four potential 500 MW phases. [2] Proponent projection
Grid connection concept: New 500 kV substation and two feeds. The plan references AESO and AltaLink processes but does not show a completed connection agreement or approval. [2] Proponent projection
Phase-one battery concept: 2,400 MWh. The plan proposes a four-hour lithium iron phosphate battery system. Final sizing and approval are not established. [2] Proponent projection
Emergency generation: Diesel backup proposed; total unresolved. The concept contains backup and IT-load figures that do not align consistently across sections. ADCW does not publish a single backup total until they are reconciled. [2] ADCW context
What remains unresolved
The final AESO connection request, system studies, transmission route and AltaLink approvals.
A reconciled emergency-generation design, fuel inventory and air-emissions estimate.
Water, cooling, and drainageSupply, demand, wastewater, and servicing
The concept proposes water from the Bow River Irrigation District through Travers Reservoir and reuse of treated wastewater. Final demand, allocation, licence changes and infrastructure agreements remain unresolved. [2]
Proposed source: Travers Reservoir / BRID. The concept anticipates an agreement and possible licence amendment. It does not establish an approved allocation. [2] Proponent projection
Reuse concept: On-site wastewater treatment and cooling reuse. The plan proposes treating and reusing water, but a final campus water balance was not published. [2] Proponent projection
Comparable daily volume: Not yet defensible. The plan gives efficiency assumptions but not enough internally consistent, approved information for ADCW to add a daily volume to the province-wide total. [2] ADCW context
What remains unresolved
The approved water allocation, licence amendments, infrastructure owner and full campus water balance.
Final stormwater studies remain unresolved.
Sound at nearby communitiesAssessment evidence, controls, and remaining questions
Project-specific sound evidence: Not publicly disclosed. Project-specific sound details were not found in the public sources reviewed. A predicted sound level is not a measurement from an operating facility. ADCW context
What remains unresolved
Final noise studies remain unresolved.
Land and site layoutSite footprint and the planning information in the record
Concept scale: About 8 million square feet. The plan describes approximately 20 to 30 data centre buildings at full buildout. [2] Proponent projection
Rezoned land: 594.55 acres. Council's final June 2026 amendment was smaller than the 865-acre area described at the earlier public-hearing stage. [3][1] Public record
What remains unresolved
Final traffic, habitat, and cumulative-effects studies remain unresolved.
Indigenous contextTreaty geography, engagement, and consultation evidence
Data centre projects sit within treaty territories and places with longstanding First Nations and Métis connections. Treaty boundaries alone cannot tell us which communities may be affected or how they view a project.
Treaty geography: Treaty 7 territory. This geographic label does not establish which First Nations or Métis communities may be affected, whether project-specific consultation occurred or what positions communities hold. The reviewed municipal concept does not provide a complete consultation record. [5] ADCW context
What remains unresolved
A project-specific Indigenous consultation and engagement record.
Approvals and participationSeparate decisions, public participation, and the recorded timeline
Land-use decision: Rezoning approved June 17, 2026. The decision changed 594.55 acres from Rural General to Rural Industrial so a development-permit application can be considered. [3] Public record
Public hearing: Completed. The County received submissions before returning the bylaw to Council for decision. [1] Public record
Judicial review: Recorded application date: September 29, 2026. The applicant alleges procedural fairness failures in the rezoning process and asks the Court of King's Bench to quash the decision. The filing alleges that the County approved an incomplete application, changed material available for public feedback without further engagement, and disclosed relevant planning information only after the public hearing. Vulcan County and Eric Steeves, operating as Palliser Grid, are named as respondents and were expected to respond. The allegations are not adjudicated findings in this record. The scheduled date has passed; a hearing outcome or subsequent decision is not verified here. A project-specific 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 → and separate utility, water, and environmental decisions would still be required. [4] Public record
Data centre development permit: Not issued. Rezoning permits an application; it does not authorize construction. [1][3] ADCW context
Recorded timeline
Observed decisions and future dates are kept distinct; projected milestones may change.
January 2026. Palliser Grid submitted the rezoning application and campus concept to Vulcan County. [2] Public record
April and June 2026. Vulcan County held public-hearing stages on proposed Bylaw 2026-007. [1] Public record
June 17, 2026. Council approved amended rezoning for 594.55 acres. [3] Public record
July 22, 2026. The owners of Condominium Plan 9311680 filed a judicial review application alleging procedural fairness failures in the rezoning process. Vulcan County and Eric Steeves, operating as Palliser Grid, are named as respondents. The allegations have not been adjudicated. [4] Public record
September 29, 2026. The originating application is scheduled in the Court of King's Bench of Alberta. The filing seeks an order moving the matter to Special Justice Chambers and judicial review of the rezoning decision. [4] Public record
Second quarter of 2027. The concept targets construction start, subject to approvals and project decisions. [2] Proponent projection
Second quarter of 2029. The concept targets first-phase service. [2] Proponent projection
What remains unresolved
Whether Vulcan County will receive and approve a project-specific development permit.
The outcome and timing of the judicial review application challenging Bylaw 2026-007.
Company and commitmentsScale, projected benefits, and delivery commitments
Earliest phase-one service: Second quarter of 2029. A target in the concept plan, subject to approvals, interconnection, financing and construction. [2] Proponent projection
Employment estimate: Up to 1,000 construction; about 200 operations. These are planning estimates rather than employment commitments. [2] Proponent projection
Project overview
Palliser Grid has submitted a concept for a hyperscale AI data centre campus with a planning target of up to 2,000 MW of IT load. Vulcan County approved industrial rezoning for 594.55 acres in June 2026, allowing the proponent to apply for a development permit. The rezoning is now challenged through a judicial review application, and the allegations have not been adjudicated. The rezoning does not approve the data centre, transmission infrastructure, water use or construction.
What remains unresolved
Committed customers, financing, final investment decision and binding construction schedule.
Unresolved questions are retained within each relevant topic above.
SourcesOriginal documents and publication details
Source record
Company disclosures establish what the company said, not independent verification of projected outcomes.
- Public Hearing Scheduled for Bylaw 2026-007Vulcan County · Municipal record · Updated 2026-06
- Travers AI Data Centre Campus concept planPalliser Grid / Vulcan County · Municipal record · 2026-01
- Council Highlights: June 17, 2026Vulcan County · Municipal record · 2026-06-17
- Originating Application: The Owners, Condominium Plan 9311680 v. Vulcan County and Eric Steeves, operating as Palliser GridCourt of King's Bench of Alberta · Court filing · Filed 2026-07-22
- Treaty Boundary datasetGovernment of Canada Open Government Portal · Government database · Modified 2026-06-29