From banking apps to streaming platforms, much of daily life now depends on digital services that operate continuously in the background. Supporting those services are data centres—large-scale facilities that are increasingly being considered for Alberta’s Industrial Heartland as part of planned industrial growth.

What is a data centre?

A data centre is a secure facility that stores and processes digital information. It supports services such as:

• Online banking and financial systems
• Video calls and communications platforms
• Mail and cloud storage
• Streaming and digital services
• Business and government systems
• Advanced computing used across multiple sectors

In simple terms, data centres keep digital services running reliably.

Why data centres are being considered in the Heartland

The Industrial Heartland is a long-established industrial region that has been planned and zoned for large-scale industrial development for decades, making it a suitable location for data centres. These projects fit within existing industrial land use designations and can use established infrastructure corridors already in place, consistent with the region’s established industrial base.

Data centres are only permitted in designated industrial areas—not residential neighbourhoods. All projects must go through multiple layers of approval, including municipal, provincial, and federal regulatory processes. Depending on the project, additional requirements related to public notification, consultation, or stakeholder engagement may also apply.

Power: Protecting The Grid And Existing Users

Data centres are generally expected to include on-site power generation capacity, typically through dedicated generation facilities located with or near the development, rather than relying primarily on the provincial electricity grid.

Currently proposed data centre projects in the Heartland include associated power generation as part of their overall design, based on the specific requirements of each development.

Where a project seeks to either draw power from the provincial electricity grid or supply power to it, it must be reviewed and approved by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), which is responsible for maintaining system reliability and managing the integration of new generation and demand.

This approach ensures that new industrial development is integrated in a way that maintains reliability for existing residential, commercial, and agricultural users, and supports the development of dedicated, site-specific energy infrastructure.

Water: Regulated Supply And Separation of Uses

All water use in Alberta is regulated under provincial licensing and environmental standards, which set limits on allocation and ensure withdrawals remain within approved thresholds based on available supply and system monitoring.

The Heartland region operates a dual water system designed to protect drinking water by separating it from industrial use:

Potable water system

Provides treated water that meets drinking water standards and serves residential, commercial, institutional, and other approved uses. It is managed to ensure residential and community needs remain the priority

Industrial process water system

Provides non-potable water for industrial uses such as cooling, dust suppression, and equipment operation, supplied separately from the drinking water system.

This separation ensures drinking water supplies are protected by preventing industrial demand from competing with or straining potable water capacity.

Water use is further governed through provincial licensing, which sets allocation limits and ensures withdrawals remain within approved thresholds based on available capacity and long-term system monitoring.

This approach ensures water is allocated by use, managed within regulated limits, and planned to support both community and industrial needs.

Community and operational impacts

If a data centre project proceeds, there may be temporary increases in traffic within industrial areas during construction, similar to any industrial project. Developers are required to complete transportation studies and fund required infrastructure improvements.

Once operational, data centres typically have limited on-site staffing and low ongoing traffic compared to other industrial facilities.

Noise is primarily associated with on-site mechanical systems such as cooling equipment and, where applicable, power generation equipment. These sources operate within the facility boundary and must meet municipal and provincial sound limits at the property line. Because these projects are located in designated industrial areas, noise is managed within an established industrial environment.

Looking ahead

Data centres have long been part of global digital infrastructure, but their scale and importance have grown significantly in recent years. In Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, they are being considered within a regulated, structured framework that integrates land use planning, infrastructure capacity, and long-term industrial development.