Workstream 4: DC Informed Energy Supply

This white paper investigates how electric companies across Canada are planning for emerging large loads and data centres. It analyzes recently submitted Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs) and long-term energy planning outlooks to assess projected load growth, planned generation capacity additions, and provincial strategies for accommodating large-scale new loads. The report also explores opportunities for system benefits through data centre flexibility and discusses strategies to advance long-term resource planning practices to support emerging needs.

This white paper examines how ISP can guide the design of future power systems with significant DC growth, outlining the phases of ISP and showing how each phase addresses the specific planning challenges and opportunities introduced by these large, complex loads. ration potential.

This study evaluates supply-side technology pathways to meet DC demand through 2035 under varying scenarios of DC demand growth, federal policy, and carbon-free electricity (CFE) procurement targets. The analysis incorporates updated demand projections, recent changes to federal energy policy under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and current technology cost trends.

This white paper describes an analysis comparing recently filed U.S. electric company integrated resource plans (IRPs) depicting planned generation supply, with both IRP and EPRI DC-informed load projections. Findings explore how these projections compare and the landscape of existing and planned resources, and recent trends in energy supply to power DCs, opportunities that DC flexibility may afford to the system, and approaches to advance long-term resource planning practices are explored.

This report addresses the rapidly increasing energy demand of data centers (DCs), driven primarily by hyperscale facilities supporting artificial intelligence workloads, with global electricity consumption projected to nearly double by 2026. It evaluates a comprehensive range of energy supply options suitable for DCs over the next 5 to 10 years, focusing on performance, cost, and integration potential. The report provides detailed reviews of power generators including gas turbines, reciprocating engines, solar, wind, nuclear, long-duration energy storage, geothermal, linear generators, fuel cells, and carbon capture and storage systems. Results are presented as a comprehensive compendium designed to inform decision-making for DC owners and energy providers by highlighting key technical insights, project examples, and future trends in energy supply tailored to the evolving needs of DCs.

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of the energy supply chain challenges confronting the rapidly growing data center (DC) sector over the next 5 to 10 years. It examines the increasing demand for electricity and its implications for infrastructure development, technology deployment across energy generators, and the availability of critical grid electrical components.

This report examines critical workforce issues over the next 5 to 10 years on a regional basis, including talent shortages in skilled trade roles, retention difficulties, and the need for apprenticeships and resource allocation to keep pace. Multiple case studies are presented along with feedback from energy suppliers on workforce issues seen in the field. The report assesses the potential implications for DCs and provides recommendations for ways to minimize issues and better prepare to keep DC growth on track.