Alberta has been laying the groundwork to become a data centre hub for at least the last two years. The provincial government unveiled its Artificial Intelligence Data Centres Strategy in 2024, which was a roadmap for attracting development and investment.
In the years since, the province has passed legislation improving data centre access to the energy grid and formalized tax incentives to draw business. The provincial minister of technology and innovation, Nate Glubish, has spoken about the desire to bring $100 billion in private data centre investment to the province. There are dozens of data centre projects in some phase of proposal or development in Alberta. The province’s enthusiasm for data centres has even caught the eye of tech giant Meta, whose lobbyists filed a registration to discuss “Alberta’s policy framework for the development of infrastructure related to artificial intelligence” in early February.
Reaction outside the tech sphere has been tempered by concerns over things like energy costs and environmental consequences, but also met with excitement from those who see embracing data centres as an opportunity.
BetaKit sat down with Sam Jenkins, CEO of innovation and software development agency Punchcard Systems, to talk about what Meta sees in the province, how Alberta can capitalize on big tech’s attention, and what Albertans stand to gain or lose in the process.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us more about Meta’s data-centre proposal and why it’s significant or different from the other proposed developments in Alberta
Facebook’s in-house lobbyists filed a registration in Alberta in January to discuss Alberta’s policy framework for the development of infrastructure related to AI, implying that they may be eyeing the province to build a data centre.
This is an early signal that Meta is evaluating what it would take to build or expand at hyperscale in the province. So far, most of the developments that the public has seen have been led by data-centre developers or utilities, often showing up as grid connection activity.
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This one stands out as a big platform company—a tech giant—stepping into the conversation, which we haven’t seen yet.
This could also draw attention from other major tech companies because it suggests that Alberta is being taken seriously as an AI data centre hub.
In addition to Meta’s recent interest, there are several data centres that have been proposed or are in development in Alberta. What’s making the province so appealing, and how should Alberta capitalize on that surge in interest?
Alberta is abundant in natural gas, a cornerstone of Canada’s energy industry, as well as a cold climate that supports cooling. It also has a comparatively low tax environment among Canadian provinces. All of the important ingredients are there, but what we need is a recipe to ensure that most of the economic value from these proposed data centres goes back into the local economy.
Image courtesy Punchcard Systems.
All of these factors powering the province’s AI data centre strategy present a huge opportunity to do just that. To capitalize on it, Alberta needs to make the upside durable and use this investor interest to secure local spillover: developing and retaining local talent, getting local supplier participation, and encouraging more AI adoption by Alberta businesses.
To support the province’s local tech sector, Alberta should also foster an environment where homegrown companies are incentivized to build AI platforms and solutions on top of that physical infrastructure. Otherwise, Alberta falls behind by simply becoming a hub for data centres, instead of being a real global tech hub.
What do we stand to gain, or lose, under Alberta’s current approach?
A clear benefit is that the province has put pen to paper on what its intentions and plans are about turning Alberta into the most attractive place to build AI data centres in North America. It positions Alberta as a serious player in data centre talks, and that kind of commitment can pull more interest from global companies like Meta to build here.
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The drawback is that strategy alone does not create economic value or immediate advantages. Building infrastructure gives Alberta optionality, but if this mostly becomes an infrastructure attraction story, the province could end up with a lot of concrete and not enough local capability: Too few Albertan companies, institutions, and teams that are ready to use AI in a way that drives new products, new services, and improved productivity.
What we stand to gain is new investment, stronger tech sector growth, and a chance to bring more global attention to Alberta as a serious AI hub. However, if we don’t build the talent and drive business adoption at the same pace, the long-term value would drift outward.
So how might Alberta go about doing that?
Alberta needs to be crystal clear about the outcome it actually wants. The question that leaders should be asking is whether we are building the companies, institutions, and teams that are ready to use AI.
Talent development needs to be treated as core infrastructure. That includes upskilling people who are already in the workforce, not just new grads, so AI adoption becomes normal across sectors like energy, construction, and manufacturing.
There also needs to be an intentional approach to pull local suppliers into the build and operating ecosystem so more of the spend circulates locally and more Alberta firms become globally relevant in the supply chain.
Lastly, Alberta should make it easier for homegrown companies to build and commercialize applications on top of this infrastructure. The province says it wants to leverage this sector to grow Alberta’s technology sector, particularly in AI, and that should show up in programs and procurement that reward adoption, local procurement, and product creation.
To that effect, what do you see as the biggest thing provincial policymakers should be considering?
They need to think about capturing long-term value and competitiveness, not just scoring more data-centre builds.
The key is execution that makes local capability non-negotiable: building a talent development pipeline, pathways for local suppliers to participate, and the conditions for Alberta businesses to adopt AI and build products that can scale beyond the province.
There’s a lot of talk about data centres, but not everyone is pleased with them popping up in their community. What is the biggest takeaway you think the public needs to know as development increases in Alberta?
The public conversation should not stop at whether Alberta can attract more data centre builds. It should focus on what Alberta is building on top of that infrastructure. There needs to be accountability on whether all of these proposed plans would eventually translate into better jobs over time, stronger local companies, and more AI adoption that improves services and productivity in Alberta industries.
BetaKit’s Prairies reporting is funded in part by YEGAF, a not-for-profit dedicated to amplifying business stories in Alberta.
Feature image courtesy Unsplash. Image by Kevin Ache.