Ontario Unveils Data Centre Playbook to Secure Canadian Digital Economy
The Ontario government has unveiled its proposed Data Centre Playbook to guide data centre development in the province. The framework aims to attract data centre projects while protecting electricity ratepayers, strengthening digital sovereignty, and ensuring Canadians' data remains in Canada.
According to Premier Doug Ford, Ontario must make a choice: build the economy of the future with secure data storage or risk being left behind. The proposed playbook is based on three pillars: economic development, data security and digital sovereignty, and community investment.
Data centres would be required to pay for their impact on the electricity system, including building their own power generation or paying a higher electricity rate than large industrial users. New data centres larger than one megawatt would face a higher electricity rate under the proposed measures.