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Alberta.ca Account
Part of New and proposed legislation

Powering new pathways for data centres

Bill 8 would encourage data centres to bring their own generation to meet their power needs and enhance the reliability of the grid.

Status: Bill 8, the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 was introduced November 25, 2025
Ministry responsible: Affordability and Utilities

Overview

If passed, Bill 8, the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, will enable a new framework that creates another option for data centres to meet their power needs without compromising affordability or reliability for Albertans. This framework would provide data centres with a clear pathway to connect to Alberta’s power grid and support growing demand for data centre infrastructure.

The act would also support the implementation of the Restructured Energy Market, update the electricity transmission policy and allow for regulations to address existing hydrogen blending pilot projects.

If passed, changes in the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act would support critical updates to power market rules and transmission policies to strengthen the power grid and encourage investment in the province. It also sets out further regulations and adjustments to enable hydrogen-blending in Alberta’s natural gas system.

The Utilities Statutes Amendment Act encourages growth in Alberta’s data centre industry and builds on the Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act tabled in April 2025 and continues the work already underway to optimize the province’s electricity grid. 

Key changes

If passed, Bill 8, the Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 will:

  • encourage data centres to bring their own generation to support their connection to Alberta’s electricity grid
  • align with Alberta’s move towards a cost-causation framework for transmission, which means data centres (not Alberta ratepayers) will pay for any necessary transmission upgrades
  • modernize the province’s utilities systems to make sure Albertans have access to affordable and reliable utilities, now and in the future
  • expand regulation authorities to enable implementation of incumbency recognition decisions
  • enable a regulation to provide needed clarity for pre-existing hydrogen-blending pilot projects in Alberta

Next steps

If passed, the amendments to the acts will come into force on various dates.

Implementation of the Restructured Energy Market is expected to begin in 2027. In the meantime, temporary measures were put in place on July 1, 2024 to ensure Albertans have reliable power and more predictable utility bills.

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