BC’s power limits on AI data centres, explained
For the two years starting February 1, 2026, BC Hydro can offer 300 megawatts of new capacity to AI data centres and 100 megawatts to conventional ones, through a competitive process. Projects of 10 megawatts or more must compete for a share.
What the rules are
Bill 31, the Energy Statutes Amendment Act, became law on November 27, 2025. It allows limits on the power available to cryptocurrency, data centre and hydrogen-for-export projects. The Province says these uses are energy intensive and generally provide fewer jobs and less revenue than natural resource projects.
The two-year call also includes 200 megawatts for hydrogen for export. Any conventional capacity left unused can go to AI projects, and a single project is capped at 145 megawatts.
How much demand there is
BC Hydro told CBC News it received 15 applications representing close to 800 megawatts, about twice the 400 megawatts on offer. It expects another call in early 2028. Projects are assessed on price and on economic, community, data sovereignty and environmental benefits.
For comparison, Alberta introduced an interim limit of 1,200 megawatts for large loads in June 2025.
Why companies want to build here
BC offers clean hydropower and a cool climate that lowers cooling costs. TELUS plans three AI facilities in BC, in Kamloops and Vancouver, starting with 85 megawatts and growing past 150 megawatts by 2032. Bell has discussed building in Kamloops and Merritt.
Why many people object
Many British Columbians do not want this nearby. In a May 2026 online survey reported by CBC News, 71% of BC respondents opposed a large AI data centre within a few blocks of where they live, and 18% supported one. Hundreds have marched in Vancouver, citing water use, a lack of consultation and who would control the data.
Those concerns deserve real answers. Power is finite, water matters, and communities should have a say.
What the AI Party of BC proposes
We would replace the fixed allocations with a model that adds supply: projects bringing new clean generation or storage would connect faster. We would also make large users pay the full cost of their grid upgrades, require heat recovery and closed-loop cooling, offer First Nations equity partnerships first and publish every decision timeline. This proposal has not been costed.
Sources
- Province of British Columbia: Industrial Electricity Allocation Framework (2026)
- Borden Ladner Gervais: Data centre regulation in British Columbia: competing for a limited supply (July 2026)
- CBC News: What you need to know about AI data centres coming to B.C. (September 2026)
- TELUS: TELUS and Government of Canada advance work to scale Canada's sovereign AI infrastructure (2026)