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Verified project profile

Wonder Valley AI Data Centre Park

O'Leary Digital proposes a multi-phase AI data centre industrial park with dedicated natural-gas generation in the Greenview Industrial Gateway. The project remains in planning and regulatory preparation. Required approvals, customers, financing and a final investment decision are not confirmed in the reviewed public record.

O'Leary Digital LimitedGreenview Industrial Gateway, approximately 42 km south of Grande PrairieMap precision: Approximate area
How to read this profilePublic recordProponent statementProponent projectionADCW context

Project facts

Core scale, approval, employment and schedule information, labelled by the type of evidence available.

Proponent statement

Current stage

Planning and regulatory preparation

The Spring 2026 project update says technical studies, consultation, design work and regulatory preparation are underway. Required approvals are not complete.

Sources [2]
Proponent statement

First-phase power

1.4 GW proposed

The 2024 announcement and Alberta Major Projects record describe a 1.4 GW off-grid first phase. This is planned generation, not confirmed data centre load.

Sources [1], [4]
ADCW context

Full-build power

7.5 GW or 9 GW

The current project website says 7.5 GW, while the March 2026 consultation filing says approximately 9 GW. The reviewed records do not reconcile the difference.

Sources [5], [6]
ADCW context

Project area

6,417 hectares in filing

The March 2026 consultation filing describes about 15,850 acres. The current project website instead says 13,000 acres.

Sources [6], [5]
ADCW context

Phase 1 estimated cost

$12 billion

The provincial Major Projects database estimate does not label the currency on the project page. The original announcement separately described about US$2 billion for the first-phase power system.

Sources [4], [1]
Proponent projection

Full-build investment

More than $70 billion claimed

The 2024 announcement does not identify the currency in the quoted total. No final investment decision was found in the reviewed record.

Sources [1], [4]
Proponent projection

Target construction start

2027, subject to approvals

The project update and consultation filing describe a target, not an authorized construction date.

Sources [2], [6]
Proponent statement

Land agreement

Purchase and sale agreement reported in 2025

The Spring 2026 update lists the agreement as a 2025 milestone. Public closing terms and completion were not established in the reviewed sources.

Sources [2]

Energy and emissions

The public figures describe planned on-site power generation, not measured data centre load. The reviewed records conflict on the proposed full-build total.

Important distinction: Phase 1 is described as 1.4 GW. O'Leary Digital's current website says 7.5 GW for the Alberta campus, while its March 2026 consultation filing says 9 GW across four phases. None of those figures is an approval or an operating result.
Proponent statement

Power model

Entirely off-grid in current filing

The March 2026 filing describes dedicated generation and says a future connection to Alberta's grid may be considered.

Sources [6]
Proponent statement

Primary generation

Natural gas

The project is planned around large-scale on-site natural-gas power generation. Final generating equipment and phase-by-phase capacity were not found in the reviewed public record.

Sources [1], [6]
ADCW context

Geothermal component

Potential addition

The original announcement described geothermal as a possibility. No committed geothermal capacity, design or schedule was found.

Sources [1]
ADCW context

Carbon management

Capture-ready design claimed

The current project website describes the design as carbon-capture-ready. It does not identify an approved capture facility, committed capture rate or operating date.

Sources [5]
Proponent statement

Anticipated air releases

Local pollutants and CO₂ identified

The consultation filing identifies potential nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, ammonia and carbon dioxide emissions. Project-specific modelling is still being prepared.

Sources [6]
ADCW context

Annual greenhouse-gas emissions

Not published in reviewed primary sources

No project-specific annual CO₂e estimate or natural-gas consumption figure was found in the reviewed municipal, regulatory and proponent records.

Sources [6], [2]

Water

Greenview holds the water licence for the wider industrial gateway. Wonder Valley would receive water through that municipal system rather than hold its own Smoky River diversion licence. [8], [9]

Public record

Licensed annual diversion

Up to 6 million m³

Greenview's Water Act licence authorizes industrial and commercial use within the Greenview Industrial Gateway. The licence expires April 1, 2035.

Sources [8]
Public record

Maximum diversion rate

0.56 m³ per second

The licence requires reduced or stopped withdrawals when Smoky River flows fall below specified thresholds.

Sources [8]
Proponent projection

Estimated project demand

Less than 6 million m³ per year

The Spring 2026 update says full-build demand is expected to remain below the licensed volume, though its summary table rounds the estimate to 6 million m³.

Sources [2]
ADCW context

Future regional allocation

Up to 24 million m³ per year is not licensed

Greenview has taken an early regulatory step toward a possible future allocation of this larger amount, but it cannot withdraw it under the preliminary certificate. Its current licence allows up to 6 million m³ per year. A separate licence would be needed before the larger volume could be diverted.

Sources [2], [6], [9]
Public record

Permanent intake works

Application identified

The consultation filing says Greenview submitted Water Act Application DAPP0128310 for permanent Smoky River intake infrastructure.

Sources [6]
Proponent projection

Water system design

Reuse and recirculation under study

The project update describes storage ponds, treatment, potential reuse and recirculation, stormwater controls and wastewater infrastructure. Final designs and operating balances are not public.

Sources [2], [6]
Proponent projection

Wetland disturbance

Up to 91 hectares estimated

The consultation filing identifies temporary and permanent disturbance across all phases. It says final impact areas will be determined through later wetland assessments.

Sources [6]
Proponent statement

Connected waterways

McMillan Creek and Smoky River

The filing maps creeks, wetlands and drainage channels in the project area that connect to McMillan Creek and the Smoky River. It reports 23 fish species in this wider connected water system.

Sources [6]

Approval and public process

The project is preparing provincial, municipal and potentially federal materials. An area structure plan and a decision not to require a provincial environmental impact assessment do not amount to project approval.

Public record

Provincial environmental impact assessment

Not required under the March 2026 decision

Alberta Environment and Protected Areas decided not to require an environmental impact assessment report. The letter explicitly says other EPEA, Water Act, Public Lands Act, historical-resource and consultation requirements may still apply.

Sources [7]
Proponent statement

Industrial and water-treatment approvals

Applications being prepared

The consultation filing describes two planned EPEA applications, one for the industrial facility and one for centralized water treatment and distribution.

Sources [6]
Public record

Indigenous consultation

Level 1 consultation recommended

The Aboriginal Consultation Office recommendation names Gift Lake Métis Settlement, Horse Lake First Nation, Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and Sucker Creek First Nation.

Sources [6]
Proponent statement

Environmental studies

Ongoing

The consultation filing identifies grizzly bear, sensitive bird species, wetlands and other habitat in the broader project area. Project-specific air, noise, aquatic, wildlife and vegetation work is still being prepared.

Sources [6], [2]
Public record

Area structure plan

High-level planning framework in place

Greenview says an approved area structure plan guides future land use but does not replace rezoning, subdivision, development permits or detailed engineering for individual parcels.

Sources [10]
Public record

Water-licence appeal

Dismissed on standing

The Environmental Appeals Board found Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation was not directly affected under the statutory appeal test. It did not decide the constitutional consultation questions raised.

Sources [9]
Proponent statement

Public engagement

Open house held June 4, 2026

The project update describes ongoing Indigenous and stakeholder engagement, information sessions, open houses and technical working sessions.

Sources [2], [3]

Timeline

Observed decisions and future dates are kept distinct; projected milestones may change.

  1. Proponent statement

    Greenview and O'Leary Ventures announced a letter of intent for land purchase and development, a 1.4 GW first phase and a potential 7.5 GW full build. [1]

  2. Public record

    Alberta issued Water Act Licence DAUT0021649 to Greenview for up to 6 million m³ per year from the Smoky River. [8]

  3. Proponent statement

    The project update lists a land purchase and sale agreement, updated engineering, master planning, environmental surveys and water permitting work. [2]

  4. Public record

    Alberta Environment and Protected Areas decided that a provincial environmental impact assessment report was not required for the current project description. [7]

  5. Public record

    The Aboriginal Consultation Office issued its pre-consultation recommendation for the planned EPEA and Water Act activities. [6]

  6. Public record

    The Environmental Appeals Board dismissed Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation's appeal of Greenview's water licence on standing grounds. [9]

  7. Proponent statement

    Greenview published O'Leary Digital's Spring 2026 update stating that planning, studies, consultation and regulatory preparation were continuing. [3][2]

  8. Proponent statement

    The project team held a public open house at the Grovedale Community Hall. [2]

  9. Proponent projection

    Target for site construction to begin, subject to approvals, technical studies, engagement, commercial requirements and final investment decisions. [2][6]

  10. Proponent projection

    Target for initial power availability and continued infrastructure development. [2]

  11. Proponent projection

    Proposed phased development toward full build over approximately ten or more years. [2]

What we still don't know

Some details have not been made public or remain unresolved. We keep those gaps visible and update them when reliable information becomes available.

  • The reviewed primary records do not reconcile the proposed full-build power figures. O'Leary Digital's current website says 7.5 GW, while its March 2026 consultation filing says 9 GW.
  • The reviewed primary records do not reconcile the proposed site area. The current project website says 13,000 acres, while the consultation filing describes 6,417 hectares, or about 15,850 acres.
  • A verified data centre IT-load figure has not been published separately from the planned on-site generation capacity.
  • A final investment decision, committed customer, financing structure and binding construction schedule were not found in the reviewed public record.
  • The public status, application numbers and supporting studies for every required AUC, EPEA, Water Act, municipal, federal and historical-resource approval are not yet available as one complete record.
  • Final power-plant equipment, phase-by-phase generating capacity, natural-gas demand, annual greenhouse-gas emissions and any actual carbon-capture commitment have not been published in the reviewed primary sources.
  • The Spring 2026 update describes full-build water demand as both less than 6 million m³ per year and, in a summary answer, 6 million m³ per year. Phase-level withdrawal, consumption and discharge volumes remain unresolved.
  • Greenview's preliminary certificate for up to 24 million m³ per year is not a licence to divert that volume. Whether, when or for whose projects Greenview will seek a larger permanent licence remains unresolved.
  • The conditions, closing status and completed land transfers under the reported purchase and sale agreement were not established in the reviewed public sources.
  • The consultation filing identifies potential effects on wetlands, wildlife, access and Treaty rights. Final assessment findings, mitigation commitments and consultation outcomes have not been published.
  • The Environmental Appeals Board decision addressed standing for the water-licence appeal. It did not decide the constitutional consultation questions raised by Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation.
  • No binding numerical commitments for construction jobs, permanent jobs, municipal tax revenue, local procurement or Indigenous benefits were found in the reviewed primary sources.
  • The 2024 announcement mentioned potential geothermal power, but no committed capacity, technology, approval path or schedule has been published.
  • The map point is the Alberta Major Projects location for orientation within the Greenview Industrial Gateway. It does not represent the boundaries of the 6,417-hectare project area.

Source record

Primary and official sources reviewed for this profile. Company disclosures support what the company said, not independent verification of future outcomes.

  1. World's largest AI Data Centre Industrial Park 'Wonder Valley' coming to the Greenview Industrial Gateway

    Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 · Municipal record · 2024-12-09

  2. Wonder Valley Project Update Newsletter, Spring 2026

    O'Leary Digital / Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 · Company disclosure · 2026-05

  3. Wonder Valley Newsletter

    Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 · Municipal record · 2026-05-28

  4. Wonder Valley AI Data Centre Park, Phase 1

    Government of Alberta Major Projects · Government database · Accessed 2026-07-26

  5. Wonder Valley project website

    O'Leary Digital · Company disclosure · Accessed 2026-07-26

  6. Wonder Valley Project pre-consultation assessment, FNC202650876

    O'Leary Digital / Alberta Aboriginal Consultation Office · Regulatory filing · Recommendation issued 2026-04-15

  7. Decision that no environmental impact assessment report is required

    Alberta Environment and Protected Areas · Regulator · 2026-03-31

  8. Water Act Licence DAUT0021649

    Alberta Environment and Protected Areas · Regulator · 2025-04-07

  9. Standing Decision: Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation v Designated Director under the Water Act

    Alberta Environmental Appeals Board · Regulator · 2026-04-17

  10. Area Structure Plans

    Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 · Municipal record · Accessed 2026-07-26