Employee Speaks Out: “We Were Told to Power the Profits, Not the People.”

A siberX Power Co. employee has come forward alleging that internal recovery priorities were deliberately skewed toward restoring AI data centres and corporate clients before power was returned to critical services and residential zones.

In an interview with ODTN News, the employee, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation described the atmosphere inside the company as “tense, chaotic, and corporate-first.”

“We were watching hospitals run on fumes while being told to focus on data clusters feeding multimillion-dollar contracts,” the source said.

“The CEO’s message was loud and clear — get the AI back online, everything else can wait.”

The leak follows an internal email from SPC’s CEO, Elise Varnholt, reportedly instructing teams to “prioritize compute capacity” and “avoid discussing client names” in public statements. The email, which surfaced on social media late Monday, has drawn heavy criticism from officials and citizens alike.

Regulators at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) have acknowledged awareness of the directive but declined to comment on “ongoing operational decisions” during recovery efforts.

Meanwhile, public frustration continues to mount as large sections of southern Alberta remain without full power four days after the blackout began.

Energy analysts warn that the fallout could extend beyond infrastructure — raising questions about corporate ethics, crisis leadership, and the role of AI-driven industries in critical grid planning.

“When profit dictates the order of recovery, public trust doesn’t just flicker — it burns out,” said Dr. Anika Shah, a crisis management researcher at McGill University.

ODTN.news will keep you updated on this shocking story as we uncover more of the truth behind the crisis.

Following the risk behind the ROI. — Leila Park

ODTN News’ Mira Evans & Ayaan Chowdhury contributed to this report.