British Columbia, Canada's third-most populous province, has formally proposed legislation that would restrict power supply to AI data centers and permanently ban new cryptocurrency mining projects. The provincial government stated that this move prioritizes electricity support for traditional industries such as mines and natural gas facilities, as these create more jobs and revenue for the local economy.
Energy Minister Adrian Dix emphasized at a press conference that the province faces significant electricity demand from the mining, oil and gas industries, leading to the decision to impose no cap on power supply to these sectors. This policy stands in stark contrast to neighboring Alberta, which plans to attract CAD$100 billion (approximately RMB 507.58 billion) in data center investment over five years and utilize natural gas resources to ensure power supply.
British Columbia's cryptocurrency mining ban, which began in 2022 and was extended in 2024, now plans to make it permanent. The government argues that such projects consume too much energy and have limited economic benefits. At the same time, the province also exempted a major transmission line in the north from regulatory certification, which is expected to shorten the construction time by 18 months. In the future, priority will be given to connecting large-scale mining and resource projects to the grid.
