As proposals for AI data centres appear across Canada, local governments are being asked to approve major infrastructure projects with significant implications for water, electricity, and municipal systems. In this piece, Mairin Loewen explores why the rapidly expanding data centre boom is becoming a climate and governance issue for cities — and the questions municipal leaders must ask before approving new developments.
In January, UCL convened entrepreneurs, manufacturers, technology innovators, and allied organizations to identify the opportunities and barriers facing businesses working in building electrification. The dialogue helped shape a clearer pathway for scaling adoption while supporting local supply chains, workforce development, and market readiness.
The growing cluster, now more than 260 leaders across private, public, and nonprofit sectors, is helping transform what began as a conversation about barriers into a strategy for deployment at scale.
