Petition to Wheatland County Council

Wheatland County Council is preparing to vote on the final reading of bylaws that would redesignate 576.34 acres of Agricultural General land within the Goldfinch Area Structure Plan, and create the planning pathway for the proposed Diode Goldfinch Data Campus.

Changing Framework in the Goldfinch Industrial Area

This is not a vote about technology, jobs, or economic development. It is a vote about this project, in this location, under these proposed bylaws.

The proposed bylaws would amend the existing planning framework, including expanding the Industrial General land use to include Discretionary Medium Industry:Technology Centres with associated power generation and energy conversion systems. This definition speaks directly to operational characteristics of a project, not just scale. 

The problem is simple: if no one defines how big or intensive these power facilities can be, how can anyone confidently decide whether this type of development belongs in light, medium, or heavy industry?

Many residents believe this is a significant change to the original vision that Council set out for this area of Goldfinch earmarked for Light Industrial, and one that deserves careful public consideration. 

During the public hearing a Diode representative acknowledged that they will be bringing it’s own power plant (Bring Your Own Power) to be developed off site. Yet Residents do not feel reassured—this statement is not binding, and council proceeded to vote on a undefined power generation/energy conversion on a location designed to have no significant impacts to surrounding residents.

Residents Continue To Have Important Unanswered Questions.

Public records show an application has been made to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) for 950 megawatts of electrical capacity for the proposed project. During the public hearing, a Diode representative acknowledged that this application had been made.

Across Wheatland County, residents have raised concerns about power generation, emergency services, noise, environmental impacts, long-term liability, and whether these proposed changes are consistent with the original planning framework.

Before bylaws that permanently change this planning framework are approved, residents believe they deserve clear and reliable information about what is ultimately being approved, and how cumulative effects from the existing heavy industry will measure with the proposed Medium Industrial data center, on the location designed for Light Industry only.

We, the undersigned, respectfully call upon Wheatland County Council to vote NO on the proposed 

File Number: PL2025-005

Bylaw 2025 - 32 Goldfinch Industrial ASP (area Structure Plan) Amendment

Bylaw 2025-33 Diode Ventures Data Center ACP (Area Concept Plan)

Bylaw 2025 -34 AG (Agriculture General to IG (Industrial General) Land Use Redesignation 

Legal Description:

Lot 3 Block 4, Plan 2312026 within NW-7-22-26

Lot 2 Block 4, Plan 0412931 within NW 8-22-26 W4M

Blocks 2 & 3, Plan 0012457 with NE-8-22-26 W4M and N-9-22-26 W4M

If you are a resident of Wheatland County, please include your Council Division (1–7) or your Councillor’s name in your comment so we can demonstrate that concern about this proposal extends across the County.