Hyperscalers Take Notice: Meta's Data Center Plan Sets Off Province-Wide Interest

Meta's plan to build a C$13 billion data center in Alberta has piqued the interest of hyperscalers, who see it as a vote of confidence in the government's AI strategy. According to Avik Dey, CEO of Capital Power, multiple hyperscalers have been evaluating Alberta for the last 18 months.

Capital Power is providing 250 megawatts of electricity to Meta's site until Pembina Pipeline's plant starts generating power in 2030. The company is also in talks with several data center developers and views its natural gas-fired electricity-generating stations as well-suited to serve data centers in Canada and the US.

The province's appeal lies in its abundant, cheap natural gas, available land, and cold climate that makes operating supercomputers more cost-efficient. Dey believes Alberta has the potential to become a multi-gigawatt market for hyperscalers.