Data Centres

Municipal scrutiny and community pushback over data‑centre impacts are colliding with ongoing industry expansion: Hamilton’s planning committee moved a proposed moratorium to council amid resident concerns about grid strain, bills, noise, water pollution and heat and debate over Slate Asset Management’s Steelport plan, while Boden council approved HIVE’s purchase of a 32‑MW site that the company frames as a long‑term, renewable‑linked commitment.

At the same time, AI-driven compute demand is lifting suppliers and chipmakers—Vertiv and Texas Instruments reported outsized sales and growth guidance, and research cited expects hyperscalers to raise 2026 capex by at least 45%—so watch upcoming council votes, municipal approvals and grid/energy planning as regulators, communities and companies jockey over where capacity gets built.

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1. Hamilton committee advances proposed data centre moratorium

Hamilton’s planning committee voted to send a proposed moratorium on new data centres to city council for a future vote. The motion, brought by Coun.

Nrinder Nann, asks city staff to draft a pause so officials can study data-centre impacts and develop a municipal regulatory framework.

Dozens of residents spoke in favour at the meeting and more than 200 written submissions supported the plan, voicing worries about electricity-grid strain, higher utility bills, noise, water pollution and heat on already burdened neighbourhoods.

The debate centers on Slate Asset Management’s Steelport harbourfront redevelopment — about three square kilometres — whose proposal to set aside a quarter for a data-centre campus was recently denied by a city committee; Slate says the site could reuse legacy energy infrastructure and attract university and financial clients.

The motion sets no timeline or size exemptions.

Key facts:

- Planning committee voted to send moratorium proposal to Hamilton city council for a future vote.

- Motion brought by Coun. Nrinder Nann asking staff to draft a moratorium framework.

- Dozens of residents spoke in favour at the committee meeting.

- More than 200 written submissions supported the proposed moratorium.

- Slate Asset Management proposed Steelport redevelopment spanning about three square kilometres.

Why it matters: If council adopts a moratorium, Hamilton could pause rapid AI-driven, power-intensive data-centre builds and draft local rules on noise, water, and energy that other Canadian cities may emulate.

Residents and environmental advocates gain time and leverage to demand transparency and stronger local standards, while developers and investors face regulatory uncertainty and potential delays to large campus projects.

Utilities and regional planners will need to quantify grid impacts and inform any framework; watch for the council vote, the draft moratorium’s scope and timeline, and whether the city’s approach becomes a model for municipal oversight of AI-era data infrastructure.

Globalnews

2. HIVE gains municipal approval to buy 32‑MW Boden data center

HIVE Digital Technologies said the Boden Municipal Council approved its acquisition of the Big Boden 32‑megawatt data center in Sweden from Bodens Utvecklings AB, a site that has housed HIVE’s Swedish operations since 2018.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and would convert HIVE’s position at the site from lessee to owner.

HIVE reported it has invested more than 960 million SEK in the Boden region over the past eight years — via local contractors and renewable energy purchases — and paid over 575 million SEK in taxes to Swedish authorities.

Company leaders framed the purchase as a long-term commitment to building AI computing capacity in Sweden and to maintaining local economic and renewable-energy ties.

Key facts:

- Boden Municipal Council approved the acquisition on or before 18 June 2026

- Target asset: Big Boden data center, 32 megawatts capacity

- Seller: Bodens Utvecklings AB

- Site housed HIVE’s Swedish operations since 2018

- Acquisition remains subject to customary closing conditions

Why it matters: Owning the Boden facility shifts HIVE from tenant to operator-owner, improving long-term control over site operations, capital planning and energy sourcing.

The purchase signals a concrete commitment to Sweden as a base for AI compute infrastructure and reinforces HIVE’s local economic ties through prior investments and renewable energy purchases.

Watch for completion of closing conditions, any announced capacity expansions or hardware deployments, and how HIVE uses ownership to manage power contracts and community relations — factors that will determine whether this strengthens HIVE’s competitive position in sovereign AI hosting.

Proactiveinvestors

3. Vertiv and Texas Instruments report surging sales as AI lifts data‑center demand

AI-driven increases in compute density are boosting demand for power, cooling and analog power components across data centers. Vertiv reported net sales up 30% year over year (23% excluding currency and acquisitions), raised adjusted operating margin to 20.

8%, and guided 2026 organic sales to rise 29–31% with adjusted earnings up at least 50%.

Texas Instruments posted 19% revenue growth in the first quarter and said data‑center revenue jumped about 90%, supported by a portfolio of more than 80,000 products and an expected contribution from application‑specific parts in the second half of 2026.

The article cites research expecting leading AI hyperscalers to boost capital spending by at least 45% in 2026, and notes rising usage at Anthropic and OpenAI is driving further infrastructure investment.

Key facts:

- Vertiv net sales +30% year over year

- Vertiv net sales +23% excluding currency and acquisitions

- Vertiv adjusted operating margin 20.8%

- Vertiv 2026 organic sales guidance +29% to +31% vs 2025

- Texas Instruments overall revenue +19% in first quarter

Why it matters: Suppliers of critical power, cooling and analog power chips stand to benefit directly from AI-driven capacity growth, evidenced by Vertiv’s margin improvement and TI’s sharp data‑center revenue gain.

Vertiv’s argument that customers stick with installed suppliers suggests revenue and service contracts could become more durable, while TI’s large product portfolio and planned application‑specific parts point to deeper embedment in server designs.

Risks remain cyclical semiconductor demand and uneven end markets, which the article flags for Texas Instruments.

Key near‑term indicators to watch are hyperscaler capital spending, Vertiv’s progress toward its 27% margin target and TI’s timing for application‑specific product contributions in H2 2026.

Theglobeandmail