Council backs data centre framework, stops short of moratorium on hyperscale facilities
City staff will develop new rules for assessing large data centre proposals by next year as council unanimously approves a middle-ground approach amid strain on the electricity grid.
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Ottawa city council unanimously approved a plan to develop new rules for assessing large-scale data centre proposals, rejecting calls for an outright moratorium while acknowledging concerns about electricity demand.
Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante's motion directs city staff to develop a framework based on data centre size and potential impacts, including environmental considerations. "This motion isn't anti-data centre," Plante told council, describing it as a middle ground between a moratorium and an unrestricted approach.
City staff will develop the framework and return it to council next year for approval. In the meantime, staff will notify council if the city receives an application for a "hyperscale" data centre—defined as a facility requiring at least 50 megawatts of electricity. That notification would give councillors the opportunity to consider an interim control bylaw, which could temporarily prevent such a project from moving ahead while the city finalizes its policy.
The decision comes as Hydro Ottawa faces mounting pressure from large electricity users. Hydro Ottawa CEO Bryce Conrad told council in June the utility was facing "extraordinary pressure" from massive power demands. Several Ontario municipalities are already grappling with data centre expansion: Oakville imposed a one-year moratorium; Toronto is studying possible new rules; Hamilton's council rejected a one-year moratorium in July.
What specific environmental and infrastructure criteria will be included in the assessment framework?
How many hyperscale data centre applications are currently pending before the city?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
What did Ottawa city council decide about data centres?
Ottawa city council unanimously approved a plan to develop new rules for assessing large-scale data centre proposals, rejecting calls for an outright moratorium.
How much electricity must a facility use to be considered hyperscale?
A hyperscale data centre is defined as a facility requiring at least 50 megawatts of electricity.
What can Ottawa council do if the city receives a hyperscale data centre application?
City staff will notify council of any hyperscale data centre application, giving councillors the opportunity to consider an interim control bylaw that could temporarily prevent the project from moving ahead.
