Cambridge to look into future data centre locations
Posted Aug 27, 2026 07:25:58 AM.
Cambridge Council unanimously passed a motion this week, which in part asked staff to look into where future data centre development could go in the city.
The idea behind the motion is to be prepared for when potential developers come knocking.
“There’s a big concern with all the cities on what’s coming forward. But we don’t want to restrict businesses that come from these data centres,” said Mayor Jan Liggett.
“They’re good, we need them, we can’t be left behind in technology. We have to have these or we’ll be on the losing end of them. They’re very, very important to have. We need growth in this, but they need to be regulated.”
The motion in question reads in part to have staff, “evaluate and identify appropriate locations and policy considerations for potentially but not necessarily future data centre development to ensure land use compatibility, infrastructure readiness, and alignment with community objectives.”
Another main focus of the motion was to put pressure on the province to release its Data Centre Playbook as soon as possible.
Mayor Liggett stressed the importance of providing not only clarity for municipalities on how to regulate data centres, but also for utility companies, such as GrandBridge Energy, and for the developers themselves.
Earlier this month, Regional Council unanimously moved to have a staff report issued on the impacts data centre development could have on the local economy and environment.
That report would come back to Council by early next year.
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