The Alberta government has rolled out an online information hub on AI data centre development that includes a definition of data centres and the reason for their construction.
The website also explains the opportunities birthed from data centre development and the difference between Alberta’s approach and those of other jurisdictions. Moreover, it describes the protections around the province’s electricity system, water resources, communities, and taxpayers. Public sources are linked for reference.
The government said it aims to ensure that significant private investments in AI data centres provide major benefits and protections for residents through the establishment of clear rules, environmental requirements, and grid protection policies prior to development.
“Alberta’s approach to AI data centres rests on four commitments: Albertans will not pay for these projects, the grid comes first, water use is tightly controlled and Albertans share in the financial upside through municipal tax revenues, royalties and a data centre computing equipment levy,” the government said in a media release.
The new information hub outlines how Albertans can join municipal discussions, submit feedback to regulators, and file statements of concern. Premier Danielle Smith and technology and innovation minister Nate Glubish will also host the following town halls open to the public:
- The in-person Ponoka Town Hall on August 19 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm (hosted by Glubish)
- The in-person Sturgeon County Town Hall on August 20 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm (hosted by Glubish)
- The virtual town hall on August 27 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm (hosted by Smith and Glubish)
- The in-person Grande Prairie Town Hall on September 11 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm (hosted by Glubish)
“Albertans deserve real answers on what these new infrastructure investments mean for them. This website puts the facts about power, water and community impact in one place, so people can see for themselves how Alberta is responsibly developing AI data centres on our own terms,” Glubish said.
The potential private investment in the province’s data centre strategy has come to about $100 to $200 billion. By the 2030s, the AI economy is set to inject up to US$15.7 trillion into the global economy.
Last year, the Alberta government revealed a new levy framework it developed for large-scale data centres that built on the Alberta Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Strategy from December 2024. Under the framework, a 2 percent computer hardware levy will be laid on grid-connected data centres of at least 75 megawatts, which will be formally be defined as designated industrial properties, effective December 31. The province will assess property values, and the land and buildings linked to data centres will be subject to municipal taxation.