Members of the media may directly contact the following uOttawa academic experts:
Kelly Bronson (English and French)
Canada Research Chair in Science and Society; Faculty member at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society; and Associate Professor, School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences.
[email protected] (French interviews: only print or pre-taped, please)
Professor Bronson’s research focuses on Canada’s approach to AI, including environment infrastructure and data centres, as well as the cost and affordability of data sovereignty combined with environmental impact on communities. Her current work is a project mapping out data centres across Canada, gathering all publicly available information to inform communities – including First Nations – so they can make better decisions by understanding the scale of data centre projects, and the corporate actors behind them.
“This announcement by the federal government was absolutely necessary; the government is showing a desire to govern an uncertain, changing landscape. The question is when it comes to strategic value to Canadians and local communities, how will they measure and evaluate energy costs, environment impact, local values and how will they impact communities? These are still just principles, and principles only become governable once you must act on them. Still, this move will help move from principles to reality and the start of good governance.”
Javad Fattahi (English only)
Assistant Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering.
[email protected]
Professor Fattahi’s research explores:
- The integration of hybrid batteries in data centers to address power fluctuations (which is more technical than regulatory).
- The impact of extreme natural events on electrical infrastructure.
- The threats and opportunities of AI for preventive and prescriptive contingency planning in electrical grids.
“This federal announcement is everything and nothing. It lays out some implicit requirements but fails to explain how to implement them or even whether they are feasible, or not. There are also many other non-technical non-functional requirements that were missed.”
Nan Chen (English only)
Assistant Professor, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Faculty of Engineering.
[email protected]
Professor Chen's research covers infrastructure planning and operation in power systems, such as data centers and electric vehicles.
"The rapid buildout of hyperscale data centers places high demands on local power grids, water supplies, and land use. A transparent, context-aware framework that guarantees tangible community benefits is essential."
Paul Daly (English and French)
Full Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section and University Research Chair in Administrative Law & Governance.
Professor Daly’s research focuses on administrative and public law. He can speak to the following topics:
- The duty to consult with Indigenous peoples;
- The application of federal and provincial environmental impact legislation to data centres;
- Whether deregulatory federal and provincial legislation will facilitate data centre construction;
- The municipal role in land-use planning;
- Energy regulation and powering data centres.