Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has pushed back against public criticism of a landmark series of multi-billion-dollar US-backed investment projects, dismissing opponents’ concerns about strains on the nation’s water and electricity supplies and defending the initiatives as a transformative opportunity for economic growth.
Last week, the Trinidad and Tobago government signed three memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with US-based entities that lay the groundwork for major developments across the technology and industrial sectors. These projects include the construction of large-scale data centres, new artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the restart of the idled iron and steel plant at Point Lisas, with preliminary estimates projecting the creation of more than 5,000 new jobs across all initiatives. If completed, the 300-megawatt primary data centre would rank as one of the largest digital infrastructure projects in the entire Caribbean, dramatically boosting the country’s cloud computing and digital capacity.
Speaking to local outlet *Trinidad Express* in response to growing public pushback – which has included a public petition opposing the developments – Persad-Bissessar called on critics to abandon what she termed their unfounded high-handed opposition, arguing that objecting to the projects before full proposals are released is premature. She emphasized that all projects are 100% funded by private sector investors, with no public expenditure required, and are designed to create new employment opportunities while diversifying Trinidad and Tobago’s historically energy-dependent revenue base.
To address widespread claims that the data centres would drain domestic water reserves managed by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the Prime Minister outlined detailed water use plans tailored to each of the five shortlisted potential sites: Picton Estate near Debe, the former Usine Ste Madeleine sugar factory, Brechin Castle, Point Lisas, and an additional parcel of land adjacent to the Beetham Water Treatment Plant. For the Picton Estate site, all non-potable water would be stored in purpose-built on-site ponds, while the Usine Ste Madeleine and Brechin Castle locations will expand existing pond infrastructure to supply water needs. If the Beetham site is ultimately selected, the facility would exclusively use treated wastewater. All water used by the centres will be recycled through a closed-loop system, Persad-Bissessar confirmed, meaning no potable water will be drawn from the public WASA supply network. She also added that none of the shortlisted sites are currently inhabited, so no local residents will be displaced to make way for construction.
On the energy side, the Prime Minister clarified that government subsidies will not cover the electricity or natural gas consumed by the projects, though the sites will be designated as Special Economic Zones to encourage investment. Formal facility design plans are still pending regulatory approval, and final financial negotiations with relevant state-owned enterprises are yet to be completed, she noted.
In sharp criticism of opponents who have framed the projects as environmentally harmful, Persad-Bissessar pointed to widespread ongoing littering and illegal dumping across the country as a far more pressing environmental threat. “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,” she said. “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.”
Breaking down the three signed MOUs, the first agreement pairs the government with Ernst & Young LLP to build out a collaborative framework for large-scale data centre and supporting infrastructure development across the country. The project will leverage Ernst & Young’s proprietary Energy to Intelligence (E2I) platform, and the firm plans to partner with third-party investors to develop the 300-megawatt facility, which would mark a major expansion of Caribbean digital infrastructure.
The second MOU, signed with Hummingbird AI Holdings LLC, sets out a framework for preliminary coordination, due diligence, and planning for a proposed 150-megawatt artificial intelligence infrastructure and associated data centre. The plan includes provisions for potential long-term expansion to 500 megawatts as global demand for digital and AI capacity grows, with initial commercial operations targeted for the first quarter of 2028, pending completion of due diligence and final investment approval from all stakeholders.
The third and final MOU focuses on reviving the shuttered Point Lisas iron and steel plant, which was recently acquired by Pinnacle Steel and Vanadium Corporation. The agreement establishes a formal framework for due diligence and negotiations surrounding the facility’s refurbishment, restart, and long-term operation for steel and vanadium production.
Persad-Bissessar framed the incoming foreign investments as a positive indicator of Trinidad and Tobago’s attractiveness to global business, saying that the projects put the country on a path toward long-term prosperity. “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 stated, urging critics to wait for full project details to be released before passing judgment.