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- calendar_today October 22, 2026
EverWind Fuels at the Centre of Ground Lease Disagreement
EverWind Fuels, a company poised to build a significant data centre in Nova Scotia for artificial intelligence leader Anthropic, is currently engaged in a dispute with the Newfoundland and Labrador government over alleged unpaid crown land fees related to a wind-powered hydrogen project on Newfoundland's Burin Peninsula.
Newfoundland and Labrador Government Claims Unpaid Land Fees
The Newfoundland and Labrador provincial government indicated on Tuesday that it was still attempting to collect outstanding fees from EverWind Fuels. These fees pertain to Crown lands reserved for EverWind’s proposed wind-hydrogen venture on the Burin Peninsula. According to the government, EverWind was charged over $11.4 million annually—around 3.5 percent of the land's market value—for nearly 2,700 square kilometres of Crown land set aside for the project since 2023.
EverWind Fuels: No Agreement, No Debt for Land Payments
Matthew Tinari, EverWind's chief financial and strategy officer, responded in a written statement that the company does not owe any fees. "EverWind never signed a Crown land reservation agreement, accepted the province’s proposed reservation fees, or made any contractual commitment to pay the amounts now being claimed," Tinari said. He added that EverWind never agreed to the amount of land the province designated, nor to the terms of payment.
"EverWind categorically disputes the basis for these charges and rejects the assertion that it owes any debt to the Crown," Tinari stated. The province has not replied publicly to EverWind's claims as of Wednesday.
Background: Data Centre Nova Scotia, Hydrogen Projects, and Land Reservation Dispute
Just last week, EverWind Fuels announced its intentions to build a $10-billion data centre in Point Tupper, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Anthropic AI, the firm behind the Claude chatbot, has reportedly signed a 20-year lease for the facility, which EverWind says is scheduled to be operational by late next year. Previously, EverWind had proposed wind-powered hydrogen projects both on the Burin Peninsula and in Point Tupper and sought suitable Crown lands for these plans.
Tinari noted that much of the land reserved by the Newfoundland and Labrador government was not suitable for development, containing watersheds, residential properties, and recreational areas. After repeated requests from EverWind, the province reduced the reserved area to approximately 1,800 square kilometres by April 2025. Documents obtained via access-to-information requests show ongoing correspondence and negotiation attempts from EverWind officials about both the scale of the land involved and its associated fees.
Ongoing Discussions with Provincial Government and Project Partners
The documentation included a November 2023 email from Sam Imbeault of EverWind, highlighting the uncertainty and risk inherent in energy project development. In October 2024, CEO Trent Vichie sought an “urgent meeting” with then-premier Andrew Furey to continue discussions about the Crown land reservation.
Other companies, such as ABO Energy, have also engaged in similar discussions about related wind hydrogen projects on Newfoundland’s east coast. Meanwhile, World Energy GH2, another wind-hydrogen proponent, recently sought creditor protection citing the risk of having its project declared worthless if Crown land access was revoked.
Resolution Efforts and Provincial Perspective
According to Tinari, EverWind made over $5.6 million in “good-faith payments” while attempting to resolve issues with the land reservation process. However, after the Progressive Conservative government took office in February 2026, the province reclaimed Crown lands from EverWind and other stalled developers, citing unpaid fees and lack of project progress.
Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Tony Wakeham stated on Tuesday that his government is open to data centres but stands by the decision to withdraw Crown lands from EverWind, focusing instead on future opportunities in hydroelectricity and other developments. Trent Vichie, when speaking during the Cape Breton data centre announcement, declined to comment on the value of the facility’s lease but reaffirmed the project timeline.
Source: halifax.citynews.ca.
