A new natural gas-fired power plant in northern Edmonton is set to become operational in four years, providing power to Meta Platforms Inc.’s upcoming data center. Meta anticipates that the $13 billion data center will be operational within the next two to three years, although a precise timeline has not been established. In the interim, Meta has the authority to connect to Alberta’s grid before the Greenlight Electricity Centre becomes operational and can potentially engage with other suppliers if necessary. Last year, Alberta’s grid operator reserved 1,200 megawatts of capacity for significant projects like data centers until 2028 to prevent strain on the province’s electrical infrastructure.
Capital Power recently announced a long-term energy supply contract for the Meta data center, offering 250 megawatts of electricity by the second half of 2028. The Greenlight Electricity Centre, a $4.6 billion venture involving Pembina Pipeline Corp., Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners, and Kineticor Asset Management, will generate 932 megawatts of power initially, with the capacity to double that output in the future.