Alberta wants to build huge data centres for AI. That could bring a big emissions challenge
CBC
Earlier this month, Alberta Technology Minister Nate Glubish unveiled his ambitious plans to see $100 billion worth of artificial intelligence data centre infrastructure built in the province over the next five years.
Such data centres are integral when it comes to supporting power-hungry artificial intelligence.
Glubish has suggested Alberta has an advantage as a destination for such projects: its deregulated electricity market means data centre operators can utilize off-grid power generation, and its cold climate comes in handy given the heat generated by such facilities.
To be sure, governments around the world have locked in on the artificial intelligence adoption race in recent years. A recent report from the RBC Climate Action Institute stated that AI-driven data centre expansion in Canada could offer significant economic benefits, enhanced data sovereignty and strengthened cybersecurity, and could boost productivity across various sectors.
WATCH | Alberta government looks to attract data centres to the province:
And though the opportunity could be immense, so too could be the challenges tied to Alberta's climate goals.
The province has made huge strides in reducing overall emissions from its electricity sector by ramping up renewable energy and completely phasing out coal power plants. Now, all that progress could be wiped out.
On Tuesday, Canada pushed its target to achieve a net-zero electricity grid to 2050, having previously aimed to fully decarbonize by 2035. Alberta has said it supports the implementation of a carbon-neutral power grid by 2050.
Research has suggested that a single query run through the generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT consumes 10 times more power than a standard Google search. More advanced uses of AI, such as the generation of photos, use significantly more power.
"AI's energy-intensive nature raises concerns about power availability, grid reliability and its implication on emissions," reads the RBC report.
RBC stated that if all data centre projects currently being reviewed by regulators proceed, they would account for 14 per cent of Canada's total power needs by 2030.
The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) says 12 data centre projects are now in the assessment phase, representing 6,455 megawatts of load.
If that's all built, it would roughly double Alberta's electricity greenhouse gas emissions, said Blake Shaffer, an economist with the University of Calgary who specializes in electricity markets.
"[That's] about the same level when the province was powered by coal," Shaffer wrote on Bluesky.
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