TransAlta fields rural questions as partners plan massive Alberta data centre

CALGARY · TransAlta Corp. and its partners Brookfield and CPP Investments are planning a large data centre in Parkland County, west of Edmonton. The three companies signed a memorandum of understanding in February to evaluate the project, called the Boreal Technology Hub. The site is located directly south of TransAlta's existing Keephills Generating Station. Alberta's grid operator has granted the project 230 megawatts for an initial phase, and at full capacity it could draw 1,600 megawatts, exceeding the entire power consumption of the City of Edmonton.

TransAlta CEO Joel Hunter told analysts Tuesday that a community open house held a month ago attracted about 180 people over four hours. "The takeaway was, they want to understand more around data centres. Even though we talk a lot about data centres, it's still relatively new and they have questions around 'What's the amount of noise that will come from the facility? What's the amount of water that would be used?'" Hunter said. He noted there were no protests, describing the event as people seeking more information. The company, which has operated in the region for over 70 years, has scheduled another session for next week in Keephills to discuss technical details, regulations and community benefits.

The Alberta government has sought to attract data centre development, capitalizing on the province's natural gas and land resources. Its policy requires new entrants to provide their own power and limits their initial draw from the provincial grid to avoid overburdening the electrical system. Hunter endorsed this cautious approach, citing examples in the United States where rapid development increased consumer bills and prompted sudden moratoriums. "(The province) has been very deliberate and very focused on ensuring they don't want to compromise reliability or affordability here for Albertans," he said. Hunter added that while the pace might sometimes frustrate people, the strategy is intentional and focused on long-term stability. The announcement follows other major data centre proposals in Canada, including a $10-billion AI and wind project announced for Nova Scotia in October. Separately, TransAlta reported its third-quarter financial results on Tuesday, posting a profit of $63 million, or 20 cents per diluted share, compared to a loss of $62 million a year earlier. On an adjusted basis, it earned 18 cents per share, reversing an adjusted loss of two cents per share in the third quarter of 2025. Quarterly revenue was $536 million, a decrease from $615 million the previous year.

With files from CityNews and Global News