Norwegian Data Center Proponent Walks Out of Iloilo Consultation Amid Local Opposition

A Norwegian executive, Daniel Robertsen, who is proposing a 50‑megawatt hyperscale artificial intelligence data center in Oton, Iloilo, abruptly left a public consultation on August 14 after residents voiced strong opposition. The proposed facility would occupy a 10‑hectare site in Barangay Abilay Sur and would use a closed‑loop water system that would still require additional water to compensate for evaporation. During the meeting, local lawyer Annie Rose Paro questioned Robertsen about potential water loss, to which he replied that the community could simply reject the project. When residents expressed their disapproval, Robertsen said, “If you don’t want it, let’s stop the discussion now,” and then walked out of the chapel. He later refused to speak with reporters and used profanity. Oton Vice‑Mayor Jose Neil Olivares confirmed that the municipal government has not approved the proposal and that the project remains in the consultation phase. He also noted that the incident would be included in the upcoming committee report. The data center’s proposal was submitted in May 2026, and while the Visayas power grid has experienced numerous outages, no direct link to the project has been established. The walkout underscores the tension between large‑scale tech infrastructure projects and local community concerns over environmental impact and resource use, highlighting the need for transparent dialogue and thorough local approval processes before proceeding.