PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar says the establishment of data centres will not put a strain on the country’s water and electricity resources.In response to questions from the Express yesterday, the Prime Minister said those complaining about the proposed developments should “get off their high horse”, noting that widespread littering was happening across the country.Persad-Bissessar said the data centres were good, private sector-funded projects intended to create jobs and diversify the country’s revenue streams.“Any project will have some type of environmental impact so planners will cater for that in their designs. Foreign companies want to invest in Trinidad and this is a good sign for future prosperity,” she said.She said potential sites had been identified at Picton Estate near Debe, the old sugar factory at Usine Ste Madeleine, Brechin Castle, Point Lisas and a site near the Beetham Water Treatment Plant was also being considered.The Prime Minister said the companies’ facility designs are to be submitted for approvals and final financial negotiations with the relevant State enterprises are to be completed.“It’s amazing that these people would sign a petition objecting to something that they have no details about? It makes better sense to wait on the companies to publish their proposals,” she said.The Prime Minister said the water to be used would be non-potable water supplied from on-site ponds to be constructed at Picton, Debe, and from the expansion of existing ponds at Usine Ste Madeleine and Brechin Castle.She said if the Beetham site is selected, it would utilise processed wastewater.“The water will be recycled in a closed loop system and none will come from the WASA system. All the sites are clear of any residents so no one will be required to move,” she added.Persad-Bissessar said electricity and natural gas supplied to the projects would not be subsidised by the Government.However, the sites would be recognised as Special Economic Zones.“Every river and drain is filled with plastic and tyres, most streets and highways have litter on the sides, illegal dumping occurs indiscriminately and all our recreational sites and beaches are strewn with litter. The citizens of our country are responsible for that, not any outside group. So when citizens want to get on a high horse about protecting the environment they should look at how the country is a dump and understand why it’s hard to take their objections seriously,” said Persad-Bissessar.The proposed projects American companies are proposing to invest billions of dollars in projects in Trinidad and Tobago, including the development of large-scale data centres, artificial intelligence infrastructure and the revival of the country’s iron and steel industry, with the potential to create more than 5,000 jobs.The investments form part of three Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed last Friday between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and United States organisations under the leadership of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.A release from the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday stated that the initiatives cover three major sectors —data centre development, AI infrastructure and the recommissioning of the former iron and steel plant at Point Lisas for steel and vanadium production.Under the first agreement, the Government entered into an MOU with Ernst & Young LLP to establish a framework for collaboration on the development of large-scale data centres and supporting infrastructure in Trinidad and Tobago.The release stated that the project would leverage EY’s Energy to Intelligence (E2I) platform and that the company intends to partner with third parties in the development of a 300-megawatt data centre.Such a facility would represent one of the largest technology infrastructure projects in the Caribbean and would significantly increase Trinidad and Tobago’s digital and cloud computing capacity.The second MOU was signed with Hummingbird AI Holdings LLC and establishes a framework for preliminary cooperation, due diligence and coordination for a proposed 150-megawatt artificial intelligence infrastructure and data centre facility.According to the release, the project has the potential for longer-term expansion to 500 megawatts as demand grows. Initial commercial operations are being targeted for the first quarter of 2028, subject to the completion of due diligence and agreement by the parties to proceed with the project.The third agreement centres on the revival of the iron and steel plant at Point Lisas following its recent acquisition by Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation.The MOU establishes a framework for discussions and due diligence regarding the refurbishment, recommissioning and operation of the facility.