Framework covers electricity and water use but lacks binding definitions or penalties. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nearly two dozen AI hyperscalers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, have agreed to the federal government\u2019s new framework\u2014which asks, but does not compel\u2014companies to follow responsible development guidelines for building data centres in Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe expect projects to pay the costs they create, protect local resources, [and] deliver lasting value to Canadians.\u201d<\/p>\n
AI Minister Evan Solomon<\/p>\n
AI Minister Evan Solomon announced the framework and its signatories at an event in Markham, Ont. on Thursday morning. Canada\u2019s Responsible Data Centre Development Principles are intended to support the domestic data centre buildout the federal government is pursuing<\/a> as part of its AI strategy, while addressing public concerns<\/a> about higher water use, electricity bills, and other local impacts.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement, Solomon said that Canada is building the digital infrastructure needed to lead in the age of AI, grow its economy, and strengthen its sovereignty, but \u201chow we build matters.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want companies to come to Canada and invest, and build and grow here; we want investment in this country,\u201d Solomon said at the event. \u201cWe expect projects to pay the costs they create, protect local resources, deliver lasting value to Canadians, grow and build responsibly and transparently.\u201d<\/p>\n The framework includes five expectations:\u00a0<\/p>\n Data centre development should create lasting local benefits. Solomon said this can include jobs, skills training, research partnerships, and access to compute;<\/p>\n Data centres should not shift electricity costs to Canadians. This means data centre operators must pay for the costs they create, protect grid reliability, and, where required,\u00a0 contribute to new supply, Solomon said;<\/p>\n Data centres should minimize water use and environmental impacts. Operators must protect local fresh water, and priority should be given to efficient projects, like those with closed-loop cooling systems or waste heat recovery;<\/p>\n Data centre developers should be transparent about local impacts. Solomon said local approval processes must be respected, and that local residents should receive independently verifiable information about noise, emissions, and power and water use;<\/p>\n Data centre developments should bring strategic value to Canada. Projects must create clear and lasting benefits to Canada, including investment, supply chain participation, and compute capacity.<\/p>\n At the event, Solomon reiterated that this is not a new federal review process, and that the framework doesn\u2019t step on the toes of provincial and municipal authority over buildouts. Instead, it acts as a \u201ctool\u201d for local authorities to hold data centre operators to account. The framework does not come with specific, binding definitions, or any associated penalties for not following it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The framework has secured 23 signatories, including the largest AI companies and hyperscalers building data centres in Canada. This includes Amazon Web Services, Bell, Telus, OVHCloud, Hypertec, ThinkOn, and Beacon Data Centres. Other big tech companies that agreed included Canada\u2019s leading LLM developer, Cohere, as well as Microsoft and Meta. Meta is already planning to build Canada\u2019s largest data centre development<\/a> in Alberta.\u00a0<\/p>\n When asked whether the federal government would hold those signatories to account, Solomon said the government\u2019s intention here was just to develop a basic framework, and that provincial regulators can develop rules with \u201cmore legislative teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED: Anthropic job posting suggests it\u2019s eyeing Alberta for data centre buildout<\/a><\/p>\n The federal framework follows similar initiatives at the provincial level, including Ontario<\/a> and Alberta<\/a>, which have both put forward rules intended to require data centre projects to bear the full cost for their electricity use.<\/p>\n While many companies that signed on to the framework are looking to strengthen their compute capabilities in Canada\u2014including Anthropic<\/a>, Microsoft<\/a>, and OpenAI<\/a>\u2014they are having a hard time selling the buildout to the public. Angus Reid Institute polling shows<\/a> more than two-thirds of Canadians oppose having data centres built near their homes. This has led to firms like Anthropic hiring<\/a> data centre community engagement managers to \u201ccoordinate charitable giving, community investment, and economic development commitments\u201d to woo the markets they hope to bring \u201cgigawatts of compute\u201d to.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the event, Solomon conceded that the public has \u201cgood questions\u201d about the data centre buildout, particularly around how it benefits them and impacts their resources, and hopes the framework will result in more public trust in the \u201cdigital infrastructure of the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the choice we have as Canadians,\u201d Solomon said. \u201cIf we don\u2019t build the infrastructure of the future here, we will have to buy it from somewhere else; and if we don\u2019t innovate here, we will rent that from someone else; and if we don\u2019t make the rules here, we will have to follow someone else\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Feature image courtesy Web Summit.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Framework covers electricity and water use but lacks binding definitions or penalties.
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