Trinidad and Tobago has signed agreements with US companies to begin groundwork for installing large data centers in the Caribbean nation, sparking concerns about potential energy consumption and environmental impacts.
Data Center Plans
The memorandums of understanding with Florida-headquartered Hummingbird AI Holdings and New York-based Ernst and Young LLP were signed on Friday, according to a statement from the office of Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
The deal with Ernst and Young LLP will set out the framework for collaboration on developing large-scale data centers, with the company planning to partner with third parties in the development of a 300 megawatt data center.
The agreement with Hummingbird AI Holdings sets up the framework for preliminary cooperation, due diligence, and coordination for a proposed 150 MW AI infrastructure and data center facility.
Environmental Concerns
Data centers are listed with a megawatt figure to indicate their electrical power capacity to operate at peak load. The 300 MW center has a capacity of 300 million watts of electricity.
The deals raised online questions about the environmental impact of the centers. Renowned social activist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh told The Associated Press he was concerned about the energy consumption by the planned data centers.
Trinidad and Tobago has long grappled with chronic water shortages and intermittent supply, raising concerns that large, water-intensive data centers could place additional strain on an already overstretched system.
The government is trying to present something which looks like development, but which is not development, Dr. Kublalsingh said.
Economic Impact
The government signed a third agreement with another American company, Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation, which recently acquired a local iron and steel plant. Government officials said the agreement allows for further talks on recommissioning operating the plant.
The government said the three initiatives, combined, are expected to generate over 5,000 jobs.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
