{
  "id": 16078532,
  "title": "Ottawa ‘not responsible’ for regulating AI data centre power use: minister",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/ottawa-not-responsible-for-regulating-ai-data-centre-power-use",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-22T17:21:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news-globalnews",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12113481/ottawa-not-responsible-for-regulating-ai-data-centre-electricity-use-minister/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Canada's Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon clarified that the federal government has no responsibility for regulating power usage by AI data centres. He stated during a Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology that power regulation falls under the purview of provincial regulators. Solomon mentioned that provinces like Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are currently developing their own data centre laws. He also mentioned that Canada's energy grid and information technology are considered critical infrastructure, allowing Public Safety Canada to manage risks and reduce vulnerabilities. Solomon stated that doubling Canada's energy grid capacity is crucial for implementing the country's AI strategy. The federal government has released guidelines for responsible data centre development, which require companies to avoid shifting electricity costs onto Canadians and minimize water use and environmental impacts. Solomon confirmed that over 160 data centre proposals have been received, with MOUs in place with four companies so far. While large projects require around 100 megawatts of power per building, smaller ones may also be built. Some major projects in Canada are being led by U.S. tech giants, such as the $10-billion AI data centre in Nova Scotia, which will draw 95 megawatts of electricity in its first phase and expand to 420 megawatts in mid-2028. The company behind the project, EverWind Fuels, is partnering with U.S. AI company Anthropic and has obtained a 20-year lease for the data centre site. The company has assured that water from nearby Landrie Lake will be used for cooling, and the cooling system will be closed-loop, following car radiator principles with recycled or off-site disposal of cooling fluid. The daily water usage for the first phase is estimated to be 100,000 liters, similar to a large shopping mall.",
  "summary": "AI Minister Evan Solomon spoke to the Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology on Thursday, where he was asked about power usage by data centres Canada.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}