B.C. says AI and data centre projects must compete for power in new selection process

British Columbia will run a competitive selection process for AI and data centre projects to allocate up to 400 megawatts of power over a two-year period; applications open March 18 and existing projects in development are exempt.

British Columbia's government is launching a competitive selection process for artificial intelligence and data centre projects that seek access to provincial electricity. The program will offer a total of 400 megawatts of power over a two-year period, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said. Officials say the process is intended to manage rising electricity demand by limiting how much power certain industries can access. BC Hydro projects that electricity demand in B.C. will increase by 15 per cent or more by 2030. The government says the new requirement does not apply to traditional industries such as liquefied natural gas, forestry or mining. Key details: - The selection process applies to artificial intelligence and data centre projects seeking provincial power access. - Energy Minister Adrian Dix said applicants could gain access to a total of 400 megawatts of electricity over a two-year period. - Applications for the competition open on March 18. - Projects already in development are exempt and may proceed without applying to the new process. - The requirement explicitly does not apply to traditional industries such as liquefied natural gas, forestry and mining. - BC Hydro reports that electricity demand in British Columbia is expected to rise by 15 per cent or more by 2030. Summary: The government intends this selection process to allocate a fixed amount of power to new AI and data centre projects while managing overall demand. Applications open March 18 and projects already under development will not need to enter the competition. The exclusion of traditional industries was also announced as part of the policy. The next procedural step is the opening of the application window on March 18.