AI数据中心已成为全球性的热点政治议题，在不列颠哥伦比亚省也不例外。
AI data centres have become a hot-button political issue the world over, and in British Columbia it's no different.
今年早些时候，联邦政府宣布支持由Telus在温哥华和凯洛纳领导的“主权AI数据中心”集群。
Earlier this year, the federal government announced backing for "sovereign AI data centre" clusters led by Telus in Vancouver and Kelowna.
该声明得到了行业以及省级和市级领导人的支持，但也引发了担心大型科技公司及其环境影响的团体的抗议。
That announcement drew support from industry and provincial and municipal leaders, but sparked protests among groups citing concerns about big tech and environmental impacts.
随着不列颠哥伦比亚省的选举日不到一周，该省各政党如何处理这一问题可能会在决定谁组建下届政府方面发挥作用。渥太华宣布为不列颠哥伦比亚省的AI和新数据中心提供资金。
With B.C.'s election day less than a week away, how the province's political parties approach the issue could play a role in who forms the next government. Ottawa announces funding for AI, new data centres in B.C. B.C.
不列颠哥伦比亚省保守党领袖洛恩·多克森表示，数据中心是未来需要“审慎考虑”的事情。
Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson says data centres are something to "contemplate" going forward.
“显然数据中心很重要，但我们在这个省份面临着重大的水资源挑战，你知道的，是在你永远不会想到的地方，”他说。
"Obviously the data centres are important, but we've got significant challenges with water in this province, you know, in places that you would never think," he said. The B.C.
与此同时，不列颠哥伦比亚省绿党正呼吁在更严格的监管和环境政策到位之前，暂停新数据中心的建设。
Green Party, meanwhile, is calling for a moratorium on the construction of new data centres until stronger regulation and environmental policies are in place.
“我们允许AI科技公司冲锋陷阵，并告诉我们什么才是有益的，而不是独立评估其对本省的成本和收益，”绿党领袖艾米莉·洛安说。
"We have allowed AI tech companies to charge forward and tell us what's going to be beneficial rather than independently evaluating the cost and benefit to this province," said Green Leader Emily Lowan.
不列颠哥伦比亚省绿党呼吁省政府停止AI数据中心建设，控制用水量。不列颠哥伦比亚省新民主党则指出其《能源法规修正法案》作为其处理该问题的一个例子。
B.C. Greens calling on province to stop AI data centres, contain water usage The B.C. NDP pointed to its Energy Statutes Amendment Act as an example of how it has approached the issue.
该政策要求数据中心项目方竞争有限的电力资源，优先考虑具有环境效益和原住民参与的项目。
The policy requires data centre proponents to compete for a limited quantity of electricity, prioritizing those with environmental benefits and First Nations involvement.
“作为政府，我们要求他们达到一定的门槛，”新民主党领袖大卫·埃比说。
"We as a government require them to meet certain hurdles," NDP Leader David Eby said. "They're going to pay a higher electricity rate.
“他们将支付更高的电费。他们将确保不浪费水资源，使用闭环系统的水，并提供就业机会。”OneBC告诉CBC新闻，他们并未明确支持或反对数据中心。
They're going to ensure that they're not wasting water, using water that is closed loop systems and that they're providing employment." OneBC told CBC News it was not explicitly for or against data centres.
“这将始终取决于计划是什么、它将如何影响社区以及什么能让当地居民在不受过度干扰的情况下生活下去，”发言人怀亚特·克莱普尔在一份声明中表示。
"It will always depend on what the plan is, how it will effect the community and what will allow local residents to live their lives without undue disruption," spokesperson Wyatt Claypool said in a statement.
“数据中心对我们数字服务的发展很重要，但就像任何项目一样，时间、地点和方式的问题始终会被考虑。”CentreBC未对置评请求作出回应。
"Data centres are important for the development of our digital services but like with any project issues around time, place, and manner will always be considered." CentreBC did not respond to a request for comment.
公众对数据中心的担忧常常集中在这些设施可能带来的高耗水和耗电问题，以及使用现场发电机时产生的空气和噪音污染。
Public concerns about data centres have often focused on the facilities' potential for heavy water and power consumption, along with air and noise pollution when they use on-site generators.
尽管不列颠哥伦比亚省拥有数十座水电站，但该省持续的干旱导致近年来该省不得不依赖从美国进口电力。
And while British Columbia has dozens of hydroelectric dams, persistent drought in the province has left the province reliant on power imports from the United States in recent years.
“我们只是到了这样一个地步：在未来几年，可能没有足够的电力供大家使用，仅仅是因为我们没有发电足够多以实现自给自足，”能源未来研究所主席巴里·佩纳说。
"We're simply getting to the point where there may not be enough electricity to go around in the next few years simply because we haven't been generating enough to make ourselves self-sufficient," said Barry Penner, chair of the Energy Futures Institute.
Telus表示，其5月宣布的数据中心将运行于98%的清洁水电能源，并回收足够的废弃能源来供暖15万户家庭，同时相比传统数据中心用水减少90%。但一些专家仍建议对这一新兴行业采取谨慎态度。
Telus says the data centres announced in May will run on 98 per cent clean hydro power and recycle enough waste energy to heat 150,000 homes, while using 90 per cent less water than traditional data centres. But some experts are still recommending a cautious approach to the new industry.
“我们可能需要放慢一点速度，确保我们做得对，而不是做错然后以后再付出代价，”不列颠哥伦比亚大学经济学教授沃纳·安特维勒说。
"We need to maybe slow down a little bit and make sure we do it right rather than do it wrong and have to pay later," University of British Columbia economics professor Werner Antweiler said.
与此同时，Telus集群的建设和规划仍在进行中，而不列颠哥伦比亚水电公司一直在审查新项目的申请。不列颠哥伦比亚省民众将于周六，10月24日前往投票站投票。
In the meantime, construction and planning continues on the Telus clusters, while B.C. Hydro has been reviewing applications for new projects. British Columbians go to the polls on Saturday, Oct. 24.