AI, data centre companies will have to compete for electricity in B.C. | CBC News

"The competitive bid process, which launched Friday, will allow B.C. Hydro to manage the grid appropriately when it comes to the fast growing high-load sectors including AI and data centres, according to Energy Minister Adrian Dix at a news conference Friday. Charlotte Mitha, B.C. Hydro's president and CEO, said that without a structured process, the power utility could easily be overwhelmed by power-intensive requests from AI and data centres."

"If we had to serve every request exactly as it arrives, affordability, reliability, they could be affected for customers that we serve every day in B.C. The first tranche of projects will compete for 400 megawatts of electricity over a two-year period. Dix said that number wouldn't limit the industry, calling it a lot of electricity about 35 per cent of the power from the Site C dam."

"Dix said bids will be assessed on criteria, including data sovereignty, environmental benefits, First Nations participation and price, to ensure power is directed to industries that provide the greatest benefit. He noted Canadian companies would generally have an advantage in the process. Some Canadians have expressed concerns about the potential negative effect data centres have on the water supply, as many of the facilities need cooling systems."

B.C. now requires data centres and artificial intelligence companies to compete for electricity from B.C. Hydro via a competitive bidding process. The process enables B.C. Hydro to manage grid demand from fast-growing, high-load sectors and avoids overwhelming the utility with unplanned power-intensive requests. The first tranche allocates 400 megawatts over two years, roughly 35 percent of Site C dam output, and bids will be evaluated on data sovereignty, environmental benefits, First Nations participation and price. Projects using heat recovery, reduced water use and other efficiencies will be favoured. Traditional sectors remain under existing allocation processes and some advanced projects will be grandfathered.

Read at www.cbc.ca