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Clean Compute NL: Elevator Pitch

The 60-Second Version

The Problem: The world's biggest tech companies—Microsoft, Google, Amazon—are desperately searching for places to build massive AI data centers. They need three things: clean power, sustainable cooling, and strategic connectivity. And they can't find enough locations that have all three.

Our Opportunity: Newfoundland and Labrador has something no one else on the continent has: thousands of megawatts of surplus clean hydroelectric power AND the coldest ocean water in the developed world. We're literally sitting on the perfect data center location.

The Innovation: We can build a closed-loop cooling system using supercritical CO2 that runs along the ocean floor. The 2-4°C Atlantic water absorbs the heat passively. Zero water consumption. Zero marine impact. 90% reduction in cooling costs. No one else can offer this.

The Ask: Instead of selling our surplus power to Quebec at commodity rates, let's use it to attract hyperscale data centers that will create thousands of jobs, generate tax revenue, and transform our economy. We're asking for a $500K feasibility study to prove the concept and start recruiting.

The Bottom Line: We can turn our stranded hydro assets into the foundation of a new technology economy—and position Newfoundland as the greenest place in North America to train AI.

The 2-Minute Version (For Meetings with More Time)

The Global Context

Right now, there's an AI gold rush happening. Companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are each spending $30-50 billion annually building data centers to train AI models. But they're running into walls:

  • Power: Northern Virginia, the world's biggest data center market, is out of capacity. Multi-year waits.
  • Water: A single data center uses millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. Growing public concern.
  • Carbon: Every major tech company has net-zero commitments. They need clean energy.

They're desperate for new locations.

What Newfoundland Has

We have a unique combination that no other North American location can match:

  1. Clean Hydro Power: Over 6,000 MW of renewable hydroelectric capacity. Churchill Falls, Muskrat Falls, and Gull Island waiting to be built.

  2. Cold Atlantic Water: 2-4°C year-round. The coldest accessible ocean water in the developed world. Perfect for cooling.

  3. Transatlantic Connectivity: We're the closest point to Europe on the continent. EXA Express fiber cable lands nearby.

  4. Surplus Power: We have 300-500 MW sitting idle right now from Muskrat Falls.

The Innovation: Ocean-Coupled sCO2 Cooling

Here's where it gets interesting. Traditional data centers use evaporative cooling—massive chillers consuming tons of energy and water.

We're proposing something different: a closed-loop system using supercritical CO2 that runs through pipes along the ocean floor. The cold Atlantic water absorbs the heat passively, through the pipe walls. The CO2 comes back cold. No ocean water enters the system.

What this means: - Zero water consumption (huge in an era of water scarcity) - 90% reduction in cooling energy - Zero marine environmental impact - A competitive advantage no one else has

The Economic Case

Right now, we're selling surplus power to Quebec for maybe 6¢/kWh. That generates revenue, but zero jobs and minimal economic impact.

A single 200 MW data center would generate: - Similar power revenue (at a competitive industrial rate) - 300-500 permanent high-paying jobs ($80-120K average) - $5-10 million in property taxes annually - $1-2 billion in construction spending - A technology ecosystem that compounds over time

And here's the kicker: If we get 2-3 hyperscalers to sign long-term power purchase agreements, that gives us the committed customers we need to finally build Gull Island. The data centers become the anchor tenants that make the whole project viable.

What We're Asking For

  1. Commission a feasibility study (~\(500K-\)1M) to validate the ocean cooling technology and identify optimal sites.

  2. Establish a competitive industrial power rate (7-9¢/kWh) that can attract hyperscale investment.

  3. Create a "Clean Compute NL" initiative to actively recruit data center customers.

The Timing

This isn't theoretical. The federal government just announced a $2 billion Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are all actively looking for sites. The window is now.

If we move fast, Newfoundland could become the Iceland of North America—the place where the world comes to do clean, sustainable AI computing.

If we don't, we'll keep selling our power at commodity rates while other regions capture the value.

The choice is ours.

One-Liner Versions

For Casual Conversation: "What if instead of selling our surplus hydro to Quebec, we used it to attract the world's biggest AI companies? We have something no one else has—clean power AND cold ocean water for cooling."

For Technical Audiences: "We're proposing ocean-coupled supercritical CO2 cooling for hyperscale data centers, leveraging Newfoundland's 2-4°C year-round ocean temperatures to achieve near-passive cooling with zero water consumption."

For Economic Development: "A single hyperscale data center creates 300-500 permanent jobs at $80-120K average salary, plus billions in construction spending. We're sitting on the ideal location—we just need to recruit them."

For Environmental Audiences: "100% renewable hydro power, zero water consumption, zero marine impact. We can make Newfoundland the greenest place in the world to train AI."

For Federal/Strategic Audiences: "Canadian sovereign AI compute, powered by Canadian clean energy, cooled by Canadian innovation. And we're the closest point to Europe for low-latency transatlantic connectivity."

Objection Responses

"Is the cooling technology proven?"

Seawater cooling has been working at Purdys Wharf in Halifax since 1985—40 years. Microsoft proved underwater data centers work with Project Natick. We're combining proven elements in a new way. That's why we're asking for a feasibility study first.

"Why would hyperscalers come here?"

They're out of options. Virginia is full. They need clean power for their net-zero commitments. They're already building in Iceland, Norway, Finland for exactly these reasons. We have better power capacity than any of them.

"What about the Quebec deal?"

This isn't about replacing the Quebec relationship—it's about capturing MORE value from our resources. Why sell electrons when we can sell a complete computing solution?

"Is there enough demand?"

Global data center power demand is growing 25-35% annually. A single AI training run consumes more electricity than some small cities. The hyperscalers are each spending $30-50 billion per year on infrastructure. Demand isn't the problem—location is.

"What's the risk?"

The risk is doing nothing. The window for capturing this opportunity is narrow. Other regions are moving. If we wait, we'll be too late. A $500K feasibility study is a small investment to validate a potentially transformative opportunity.

Key Statistics to Remember

  • 6,000+ MW: NL's total hydro capacity
  • 2,250 MW: Gull Island potential (shovel-ready)
  • 300-500 MW: Current surplus from Muskrat Falls
  • 2-4°C: Year-round ocean temperature off NL coast
  • $30-50B: Annual infrastructure spending by each major hyperscaler
  • 25-35%: Annual growth in AI compute demand
  • 300-500: Permanent jobs per major data center
  • $80-120K: Average salary for data center technical roles
  • 90%: Potential reduction in cooling energy with ocean-coupled system
  • $2B: Federal Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy funding

Remember: This is about transforming Newfoundland's economy, not just selling power. Paint the vision of what we could become.