RC122 JanFeb 2026 - Magazine - Page 31
With abundant clean energy, critical minerals, and a strong
technological ecosystem, Canada holds the ingredients to
become a champion of sustainable AI infrastructure.
Once confined to the minds of computer scientists, AI now depends on massive physical infrastructure.
GOOGLE DATA CENTERS
The IEA warns that AI-driven growth will add pressure to
critical-mineral supply chains—especially for copper and
aluminium, but also nickel, gallium, and silicon.
This pressure is not unique to AI: the global shift to electri昀椀cation already fuels intense competition for the same
scarce resources. The IEA’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2025 projects that demand for copper, lithium, and
nickel could double or even triple by 2030, while supply
remains concentrated in a few regions and vulnerable to
geopolitical shocks.
In short, AI rests on heavy physical infrastructure underpinned by a 昀椀nite, geopolitically sensitive mineral base.
The growing overlap between AI and the broader energy
transition underscores a key point: the sustainability and
scalability of AI hinge as much on resource management
and industrial policy as on innovation.
Canada as a Potential Key Player
ENERGY: NUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND HYDRO-QUÉBEC’S AMBITIONS
Canada is a major energy producer, generating approximately 639 TWh of electricity in 2022, roughly 70 per cent
from renewables. This baseline gives Canada a compara-
RENEWCANADA.NET
tive advantage in powering energy-intensive digital infrastructure, such as AI data centres.
Building on this foundation, Canada is expanding its nuclear capacity. In 2023, Ontario Power Generation announced
plans to build up to four small modular reactors (SMRs) at
its Darlington site, together totalling about 1,200 megawatts
(MW) of clean electricity. These developments form part of
a national e昀昀ort to deploy next-generation nuclear technology that will provide stable, low-carbon baseload power
to support industrial electri昀椀cation and the growth of AI
infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in Québec, Hydro-Québec is investing heavily
to modernize and expand renewable capacity. Its Action Plan
2035 outlines $90–110 billion to add 8,000–9,000 MW of new
capacity by 2035, primarily through hydro and wind. The
plan also calls for approximately 5,000 km of high-voltage
transmission lines to connect new generation and improve
reliability across the province.
Canada’s cold climate o昀昀ers an operational advantage:
data centres can signi昀椀cantly reduce cooling costs by using
free-cooling techniques. For example, a Winnipeg data centre
leverages ambient winter air to reduce energy use and costs.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 – RENEW CANADA 31
