Alberta relies on its climate for the establishment of data centers

The Alberta government persists and signs by wanting to attract American companies to set up their data centers in the province. Alberta relies in particular on the weather conditions of its territory to seduce them.

Alberta’s environmental and business conditions would make it a favorable location for data centers, according to the provincial Minister of Technology and Innovation, Nate Glubish.

We have a cold climate, so it’s easy to keep these [centres] coolhe said during an interview on the radio show Edmonton A.M.has CBC.

We have an abundance of energy that we can develop inexpensively and very quickly in a very favorable business environment, and we can do it faster than anywhere else.

Dale Corsepresident and CEO of Wolfpawa data center that hosts Edmonton’s Internet exchanges, acknowledges that the cooler climate is indeed an incentive.

The weather is much colder [à Edmonton] than in Calgary. So the savings on air conditioners are much greater here, simply because of how cold we get and how long it lasts.

Mr. Glubish also highlighted the fact that his government is focusing its efforts on reducing bureaucracy while having an electricity policy that facilitates the construction of production infrastructure.

Bring your own electricity

To achieve its goals, the province is asking businesses to bring their own electricity. To companies that are ready to partner with an electricity production company and build their own infrastructure, not connected to the provincial network, Mr. Glubish ensures: We can approve [les projets] in six months or less.

During a trip to Silicon Valley almost a month ago, Mr. Glubish met with representatives of companies like Meta, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services,Microsoft, Bitdeer And Cleantech Group.

And in all the conversations I’ve had with these people, they are very enthusiastic about the value of the Alberta proposaldeclared the Alberta minister.

Yes, but…

Mr. Corsica notes that Alberta, however, is not a preferred location for companies wanting to be part of the province’s electricity grid.

Far from it. It is clear that the electricity infrastructure in Alberta has not really kept pace with demand.

Last January, Alberta sent four alerts asking the population to limit their electricity consumption due to a severe cold spell. A few months later, in April, nearly 60,000 Albertans found themselves without electricity as the grid was unable to meet energy demand.

The question of cost

Cost can also act as a barrier, as the price of electricity that Albertans pay is among the highest in the country.

According to 2023 data fromEnergy HubAlberta is the province where electricity costs the most, after Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

For Mr. Corsicathis is a significant barrier to Alberta’s ambitions in this area.

I believe we are well positioned, but the government really needs to control these energy costs.

The minister Glubish responds that the reliability and accessibility of the Alberta electricity network are priorities for the government. He specified that data center projects are considering an off-grid solution.

So if they build their own power generation, it is not connected to the grid, and there is no chance of it impacting the grid.

With information from Emily Williams