While an online petition calling for suspension of the Government’s proposed AI data centres crossed 19,000 signatures yesterday, some business quarters called for an informed approach, including more details as to the benefits to Trinidad and Tobago.National debate has continued to heat up on the proposed data centres announced last week by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, with objections raised over the use of electricity and water resources for running such facilities. Concerns have also been raised as to environmental impact on surrounding ecosystems and on the health of surrounding communities.A change.org petition started by Syam Nath, calling for the projects to be suspended pending further details to the public, up to late yesterday had garnered over 19,000 signatures.Nath is the founder of Nath Bioacoustics (NMBC) and co-founder of the Trinidad and Tobago Cetacean Sighting Network (TTCSN).He and others concerned with conservation have emphasised the uniqueness and sensitivity of local esosystems, and that several threats to wildlife and other aspects of the environment were already ongoing.Citing existing problems for pipe-borne water, some people who signed the petition said the Government should focus on upgrading public utilities infrastructure.Persad-Bissessar has since called on naysayers to get off their “high horse”, pointing to data centres as a modern source of revenue as she criticised a proliferation of litter around the country.Weighing in yesterday was Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) president Gregory Aboud, who called for more information as to the proposed benefits to T&T.Aboud said the business community welcomed investment, especially foreign investment.However, Aboud noted that opinions on the proposed development were “divided”, and suggested that the matter had to be ventilated with all stakeholders, including the national community.He said there were concerns among environmental conservationists that should be examined, as well as questions as to whether the water and power infrastructure could be provided for hyper-scale data centres.Aboud said any foreign investment should give details as to the positive aspects for T&T.Calling for more details from the State, Aboud said the matter “needs a lot more discussion and disclosure to come up with a consensus that everyone accepts on behalf of the future interest of T&T”.‘Potential benefits’Meanwhile, head of the Greater San Fernando Chamber of Commerce Kiran Singh said there are potential benefits to the development of AI data centres.He said diversification of the economy was critical for this country, and there was a need to earn more foreign exchange.Singh said such a development may present a challenge to the Government, noting the concern of many that some communities have suffered for decades for a regular supply of pipe-borne water.Also calling for more disclosure from the State, Singh said a consultative approach should be taken to allow for all impacts and benefits of the proposed centres to be ventilated.The proposals announced by Persad-Bissessar include a 300-megawatt data centre and supporting infrastructure, as well as a 150-megawatt AI infrastructure and data centre facility with potential expansion to 500 megawatts. The PM has underscored the employment and revenue potential of the projects, including increased foreign exchange.Meanwhile, yesterday US President Donald Trump called data centres “one of the biggest driving forces in the future for jobs”.Trump stated via his social media platform that data centres are “big, strong, bold, and money machines for the state in which they are built”.Trump’s comments followed an announcement on Tuesday that New York had become the first US state to place a moratorium on new data centres, citing a need for research into the impact on the environment and human health.Trump stated that New York Governor Kathy Hochul, “for political reasons, has terminated all data centres being built, or to be built, in New York”. He said these companies are now being sought in Alabama, Florida, Texas, Arizona and many other states.Trump said both the taxes and the jobs amount to “liquid gold” and that “New York State has made a terrible decision”.“All of this income, and other benefits, will be going to Red States, and some Blue, where data centres are sought as cash cows, with lower taxes and record-setting jobs,” Trump stated.He said companies must pay for their own water and power, and any leftover goes back to the state and local community.“Data centres are tremendous wins for the states and communities that are lucky enough to get them. New York should change its policy, immediately,” Trump said.He further stated that “the radical Left Dumocrats must not be allowed to cause us to lose data centres, AI, and all of this incredible new technology to China and other countries”.