Hello Twenty-Four readers! My Name is Carol, I’m the ATB 101 Economic Analyst Student for the summer and I’m excited to be sharing my first Twenty-Four with you. I grew up in Calgary and recently graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Economics and I’m especially interested in the intersection of economics, energy, and technology. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to sharing more with you!
Artificial intelligence (AI) data centres are quickly becoming a cornerstone of Alberta’s growing tech sector with the province aiming to attract $100 billion in investment over the next five years with projects such as Gryphon Digital, HubOne, and Crusoe proposed or currently underway.
In today’s Twenty-Four, we take a closer look at one of the newest AI infrastructure proposals—Beacon AI’s $7.2 billion (USD) data centre—and examine why it chose Alberta and its energy requirements.
Beacon AI’s recent commitment to develop AI data centres in Alberta underscores the province’s emerging role in the tech infrastructure landscape.
Beacon AI’s planned investment is expected to support roughly 1,500 construction jobs and 300 operational roles per facility. Planned locations include Chestermere, High River, Acheson, Sturgeon County, Langdon, and Beaumont with the first phase expected to be operational by late 2027. Each facility will feature advanced cooling systems, energy-efficient design, and robust connectivity to serve both public and private sector clients.
Data centres consume large amounts of energy. But, unlike traditional facilities, AI data centres are especially demanding because of their high average power densities. High-energy demands have resulted in a variety of challenges in the construction of AI data centres, with the accompanying power infrastructure being top of mind.
That’s where Alberta has an edge. The province produced about 15.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day in March, and produces over half of all the natural gas in Canada. This translates to approximately 4.4 million potential megawatt-hours of energy per day, some of which could be used to power AI data centres.
In the first quarter of 2025, electricity requests from proposed data centre projects (including Beacon AI) reached 11,879 megawatts, almost enough to power another Alberta. Despite Alberta’s generation capacity, both the Alberta Electric System Operator and the Government of Alberta are working to prevent grid congestion and overloading by encouraging data centres to “bring your own electricity, bring your own generation.” Beacon AI, for example, intends to start its campuses on the grid, but ultimately add on-site gas and renewables by 2029-2030 to supply a portion of its needs.
Self-generation can bypass some transmission constraints and Alberta has some advantages in this regard. Alberta’s regulatory system allows private generators to operate and sell surplus power and direct power purchase agreements with renewable projects.
As demand for computing power surges, Alberta’s natural resources can be the engine behind the next wave of AI infrastructure. Proposed projects like Beacon AI’s are yet another avenue for further showcasing Alberta’s AI potential on a global stage.
Answer to the previous trivia question: At almost 50,000 students in 2023-24, the University of Alberta is the largest university in the province.
Today’s trivia question: Which renowned AI researcher and Turing Award laureate is a featured speaker at the Upper Bound AI Conference in Edmonton this week?
