Discussion Paper: Powering the Digital Economy

A Practical Framework for Data Centre Development in Atlantic Canada

September 29, 2026

Prepared by the Atlantica Centre for Energy in partnership with New Brunswick Business Council and TechImpact.

This discussion paper, Powering the Digital Economy, distills commissioned research by Roxham Advisory and Consulting Services, Inc. on data centre development and large-load management into a practical framework for Atlantic Canadian governments, industry leaders and informed public readers.

Data centres are becoming part of a much larger economic and energy question for Atlantic Canada. Artificial intelligence and cloud computing are driving rapid investment in digital infrastructure at the same time that electricity has become one of the most important constraints on where that investment can locate. Power availability, reliability and the time required to connect new load increasingly shape site selection.

For Atlantic Canada, this creates a real opportunity. The region has industrial land, fibre connectivity, a cool climate, existing energy infrastructure and access to multiple electricity markets. The opportunity arrives at a time when each Atlantic province is already planning major investments in generation, transmission and system renewal. In a small electricity system, a large data centre is not simply another customer. It can become a system-level decision with consequences for reliability, rates, infrastructure, emissions and the ability to serve future economic growth.

Atlantic Canada should be open to data centre investment and should actively pursue projects that strengthen rather than simply consume the region’s economic and energy capacity provided projects meet applicable regulatory requirements and demonstrate acceptable economic, energy-system and community value. The objective should not be to attract every project. It should be to attract the right projects, with clear rules that protect existing customers and reward projects that bring substantial public value (such as rewarding projects that expand capacity).

Discussion Paper: Powering the Digital Economy

This paper proposes a five-part framework to evaluate major data centre proposals:

  • Is it real?
  • Can the energy system support it and can the project support the energy system?
  • Who pays and who carries the risk?
  • What lasting value does the project create?
  • Can the project earn and maintain public confidence?

The practical implication is straightforward: where a project is credible, can be reliably served, protects ratepayers, creates strong economic value and addresses local and Indigenous interests, governments should be able to move with speed and predictability. Where those criteria are not met, conditions, phasing, redirection or deferral are legitimate policy outcomes.

Principles:

  • Create a clear large-load evaluation framework before projects are assessed.
  • Protect existing electricity customers by applying cost-causation principles and long-term financial commitments.
  • Give preference to projects that bring new generation, storage, contracted flexibility or enabling infrastructure.
  • Evaluate public value, including workforce impact, taxes, local procurement, technology sector commitments, and strategic infrastructure.
  • Establish transparent community and Indigenous participation expectations early, while project terms can still change.
  • Move quickly on projects that pass the criteria; do not reserve scarce capacity indefinitely for speculative projects.

Note: This discussion paper is not a technical system study, legal opinion or assessment of any individual project. The evidence base is deepest for New Brunswick, but the decision principles are relevant across all four Atlantic provinces. The five criteria translate the more detailed analytical framework in the commissioned research into a concise tool for public and policy discussion.