Everyone says Alberta has a permitting advantage for data centres. That's true - but only if you design to the right regulatory lane from day one.
The lane is determined by one number: 200 MW.
Any new fossil fuel power plant at 200 MW or more is a designated project under the federal Physical Activities Regulations, triggering the Impact Assessment Act. That process currently runs roughly 1,095 days for the impact statement phase, plus another 300 days for the assessment itself - before construction starts.
Mihta Askiy near Peace River (650 MW, Woodland Cree First Nation / Sovereign Digital Infrastructure) entered that process in December 2025 and is targeting mid-2027 startup. The IAAC registry currently shows 0 of 1,095 days on the impact statement clock. That timeline deserves close attention.
Below 200 MW, projects stay provincial under AUC Rule 007, updated November 2025. Faster, but not frictionless. Since December 2024, proponents are also navigating agricultural land assessments, visual impact studies, municipal engagement requirements, and reclamation security. And procurement is now a permitting risk in its own right - TransAlta flagged in their Rule 007 feedback that a five-year construction window from approval is tight when turbine and transformer deliveries are stretching toward 2030.
Alberta's real advantage is the choice of lanes, not a single fast track. A well-structured sub-200 MW behind-the-meter phase on previously disturbed industrial land, with gas supply secured before filing, stays entirely in provincial hands and can move materially faster. But that only works if the project is designed for it from the start - not retrofitted after the press release.
The teams that understand this are sizing phases deliberately, choosing brownfield sites, and securing gas supply before they file anything.
Where do you see the biggest redesign pressure from the federal threshold - project sizing, site selection, or phasing strategy?
#DataCentres #Alberta #BehindTheMeter #AUC #EnergyInfrastructure #NaturalGas
