AI’s Power Surge: How Canadian Data Centres Are Driving Energy Demand and Grid Change
- Octavian Vasilovici
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from novelty to necessity. Behind every new application is an invisible cost: electricity. The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that global power demand from data centres, including those running AI workloads, could more than double by 2030. That would equal the entire electricity consumption of Japan today.
Canada is part of this megatrend. Our data centres are no longer niche facilities tucked in the background. They are becoming central to how provincial and national grids are planned and operated. For building owners, property managers, and energy stakeholders, this shift changes how property value and energy access must be understood.
Global Growth and AI’s Role
The IEA projects that between 2024 and 2030, electricity use from data centres will rise about 15% annually—over four times faster than the growth rate of total global electricity demand. AI-optimized servers are the primary driver, with energy needs expected to quadruple by 2030.
In advanced economies, data centres alone could account for more than 20% of new electricity demand this decade. In the United States, the combined load from AI and data centres is expected to grow faster than power demand from heavy industries like aluminum, steel, and chemicals combined. In other words, the grid of the future is being shaped less by factories and more by computing.
Canada’s Emerging Role
Canada may not match the sheer scale of U.S. or Asian growth, but its expansion is significant and increasingly strategic. Current national data-centre capacity is around 750 MW, with forecasts climbing to 1.16 GW by 2029.
Hydro-Québec projects 4.1 TWh of additional data-centre demand by 2032. Grid operators in Ontario and Alberta now identify new data-centre loads as key factors in long-term demand planning. Independent estimates suggest that Canadian data centres already consume 3 to 6 TWh annually, about 0.5–1% of national electricity use, with the trajectory pointing sharply upward.
The message is clear: Canada is becoming an important node in the global AI energy story. Our provincial grids are adapting, and data centres are moving from peripheral customers to critical infrastructure.
Implications for Building Owners and Energy Stakeholders
Power access now drives property value. In this market, sites with available grid capacity and interconnection rights are commanding attention. Location alone is no longer enough.
Grid stress is a growing concern. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has cautioned that surging data-centre demand could challenge grid reliability, especially during peak summer conditions when supply margins are thin. Owners and developers need to consider how their facilities interact with broader system planning.
Sustainability expectations are rising. Investors and tenants increasingly expect clean-energy sourcing. Data-centre projects that lack credible low-carbon strategies risk reputational and financial setbacks.
Geography shapes opportunity. Provinces are carving out niches: Québec with abundant hydro, Ontario with planned grid upgrades and incentives, Alberta with wind and solar potential. Owners and investors who align with these strengths will have a competitive edge.
AI is not only transforming how we compute—it is reshaping how we produce, distribute, and consume electricity. For building owners and facilities leaders, the critical question is no longer, “Where can I host computing?” but “How can I host energy-smart, grid-aware, and sustainability-forward infrastructure?”
As Canada takes its place in this global shift, those who combine strong real estate fundamentals with credible power strategies will lead the market.
At OptiBuild, we help building owners and facilities leaders step back from day-to-day operations and connect property decisions to energy realities. Our Smart Building Owner’s Roadmap is designed to guide these decisions—helping you understand where energy access creates opportunity and how to position your portfolio for the AI-driven future.
