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Alberta.ca Account
Part of Search public engagements

Data centre levy engagement

Key stakeholders can share their thoughts on a potential levy that would apply to data centres operating in Alberta.

Overview

We are seeking feedback from key stakeholders on potential approaches for generating revenue from data centres.

North American jurisdictions use different tools to raise revenue from data centres, with the most common being sales or property taxes on computing equipment used by the data centres. 

Because Alberta's government does not levy a sales tax or property taxes on machinery and equipment, we need to consider a new approach that ensures Albertans receive a fair return from data centre investments while also maintaining Alberta’s competitiveness within North America.

Status

  • Open

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Treasury Board and Finance

Get informed

Alberta’s AI Data Centre Strategy: Powering the future of artificial intelligence, released in December 2024, laid out the road map for making our province a prime destination for technology investment, especially in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. A strong AI industry in Alberta will drive local innovation, create jobs and support economic diversification.

This strategy includes several priorities to preserve the well-being of Albertans, including a focus on keeping utilities affordable and maintaining a stable utility market.

Stakeholder engagement

From July to August 2025, we are inviting select stakeholders to read a consultation paper that explains proposed options and share feedback through written submissions online. 

Potential options include 2 different approaches to a levy on data centres:

  • A levy on the value of computing equipment, similar to what is levied in a number of other North American jurisdictions.
  • A levy on electricity consumed by data centres.

We are also gathering feedback on a compute-in-kind model, which would allow data centre operators to contribute computing resources, such as AI training or software access to Alberta-based organizations. In return, operators would receive a reduction on their levy.

Stakeholders being consulted include:

  • existing data centre operators
  • data centre proponents
  • municipal governments
  • the electricity industry

Outcomes

Stakeholder feedback will help inform government decision-making on potential data centre levies, with next steps announced as early as fall 2025.