{"id":8792,"date":"2026-09-29T13:58:37","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T13:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/?p=8792"},"modified":"2026-10-01T19:25:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T19:25:13","slug":"license-to-build-unlocking-canadas-data-centre-potential","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/ai-technology-and-innovation\/license-to-build-unlocking-canadas-data-centre-potential\/","title":{"rendered":"License to build: Unlocking Canada\u2019s data centre potential"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLicense to build: Unlocking Canada\u2019s data centre potential\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\tAs Canada pursues a data centre build out, a framework has emerged focusing on three key pillars: power, price and permission. \t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Data centres are at the core of the AI boom. Tech companies are committing trillions of dollars, much of it to the data centres that power their AI applications and services. And Canada is a natural destination for data centre buildouts, given its clean energy, cooler climate, and abundant land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale of the opportunity is immense. In Canada\u2019s New Capital Playbook<\/a>, co-written with McKinsey & Company, we found that global data centre demand\u2014as measured by energy requirements\u2014is expected to roughly triple by 2030, with AI accounting for about 70% of that growth. Cumulative investment in data centre facilities alone could exceed US$2 trillion to US$2.5 trillion through 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the report outlines, pairing investment in data centres with commercialization steps can allow Canada to be a participant in shaping the global AI economy. Data centres could potentially provide significant economic benefit, generating revenue and improving productivity through AI-enabled solutions. Domestic data centres could also strengthen Canada\u2019s AI and data sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, public sentiment has soured on data centres amid environmental and noise concerns, as well as growing anxiety about AI. Data centre construction has become deeply politicized, particularly in the U.S., where it has emerged as a key mid-term election issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closer to home, a framework to guide data centre development in Canada has started to take shape, with the federal government<\/a> and six provinces<\/a> each releasing principles, frameworks or rules aimed at setting clear expectations for data centre projects. As Canada pursues a build out of the infrastructure powering AI, the frameworks that have been unveiled so far boil down to three key requirements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n