Ontario unveils new data centre framework amid calls for moratoriums
The framework would steer new projects toward jobs, community investments and higher electricity charges for large data centres.
- On Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford launched the province's new Data Centre Playbook, opening a 30-day public consultation beginning August 13, 2026 to regulate how large-scale data facilities connect to the electricity grid.
- Municipalities across Ontario have implemented or considered moratoriums on data centre construction due to electricity capacity concerns, with Oakville enacting a one-year ban on Tuesday.
- Under the new rules, data centres consuming more than 1 megawatt must pay a higher electricity rate than other industrial users, encouraging developers to build their own power-generation facilities.
- Ford stated the Playbook will "ensure Canadians' data remains in Canada," while requiring projects to demonstrate local economic benefits and meet environmental standards for water consumption and noise.
- Projections show the framework could drive $122 billion in economic growth by 2035, with Ontario planning to finalize the strategy following the public input period and further local study.
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Ontario says AI data centres must pay their own power costs
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Ontario proposes data centre playbook as demand for AI infrastructure surges
The Ontario government has announced the framework for a new Data Centre Playbook that it says will set the terms for data centre development in the province. The news: The playbook will base data centre approvals around three main pillars: economic development, digital sovereignty, and community benefits. The province also says it plans to put laws in place that will ensure data centres pay full price for the electricity they use. However, the …
Ford pitches data centres as ‘way of the future’ during Guelph visit
GUELPH - Data centres are the way of the future, and those against them are misinformed, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters on Aug. 13.Ford made his remarks against the humming backdrop of servers storing Ontarians’ sensitive information at a Guelph data centre on Thursday.He pitched data centres as a now-or-never opportunity as the province released its “data centre playbook.”“This is the way of the future, either we do it, or Donald Trum…
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