Ford announces plans to attract AI data centres at Guelph conference
Posted Aug 13, 2026 02:42:20 PM.
Last Updated Aug 13, 2026 03:37:06 PM.
Premier Doug Ford and other Ontario ministers met in Guelph to announce the framework for Ontario’s Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Playbook.
The Ontario Government says the framework will attract the best data centre investments, while at the same time keeping Canadian’s data within the country. It also notes that data centres are responsible for paying the full cost of electricity. Though the government is offering non-financial support to help attract investments.
Through a news release, the playbook is described as an early initiative in the government’s plan to leverage artificial intelligence in possible economic opportunities. Adding that through these opportunities, the government hopes to generate $122 billion in economic growth by 2035, while creating over 17,000 jobs each year.
Ford said he believes in the newly announced framework for the Data Centre Playbook.
“Through our new Data Centre Playbook, our government is choosing to build the economy of the future to generate billions in economic growth and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring new data centres play by the right rules and pay the full cost of electricity. Any data centre investment will need to invest significantly in local communities and pay more for electricity so no energy costs are passed on to hardworking families.”
The three main pillars are:
- Advance economic development
- Protect data and security and digital sovereignty
- Invest in communities and earn public confidence
A large focus of the framework is the impact data centres have on electrical systems. In the government’s release, they say data centres are responsible for paying for impacts.
The government is encouraging interested data centres to build their own means of power generation. Their strategy is to introduce a separate rate class for large new data centres.
Region looking into concerns of AI data centres
This comes just a day after regional councillors unanimously moved a motion to have staff create a report looking into how the centres could impact the community.
That report would come back to council early next year.
It would also include ways to keep data centre developers accountable and transparent when it comes to reporting on energy use, water use, cooling systems and impacts on the environment.
A day prior, Ontario Green Party Leader and Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner called for a moratorium on new AI data centres in the province.
“There are serious concerns with AI data centres, including the risks they pose to our air and water, the amount of energy they consume and their economic impact on our communities,” Schreiner said.
He wants the Ford government to study the centre’s effects on the environment, energy, health, and jobs
The provincial government is looking for input from the public. Those interested can comment through the Environmental Registry of Ontario and the Ontario Regulatory Registry over the next 30 days.
The province says that comments and input received through these channels will be used to refine the proposed framework. Ontario will then release its final Data Centre Playbook after hearing from the community.
You can find information about the Data Centre Playbook’s framework here.
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