Alberta Data Center Plan For Meta Advances With Pembina

Pembina Pipeline (TSX: PPL) is closing on a deal to build a large AI data centre for Meta in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, with regulatory steps and gas-power buildouts pointing to potential service in 2029.

The firm plans to pair the campus with power supplied alongside Calgary-based Kineticor, aligning with the Greenlight Electricity Centre project now before the Alberta Utilities Commission.

Kineticor’s site describes GLEC as a proposed 1,864 MW combined-cycle facility able to co-locate a data centre of the same capacity, with carbon-capture optionality, developed in phases.

The joint venture positions GLEC for phased increments and commercial operation in the 2029 window, while Pembina’s Alliance Pipeline has launched a feasibility study for up to 350 MMcf/d of incremental short-haul capacity into the Industrial Heartland, targeting an in-service date in late 2029.

In late September, legal summaries confirmed a 2% computer-hardware levy for grid-connected data centres over 75 MW, fully creditable against Alberta corporate income tax when profitable. Earlier industry coverage captured pushback to the “server tax” concept and concerns about power rationing signals.

The Edmonton-area siting taps the province’s Industrial Heartland, a cluster of refineries and petrochemical assets that also hosts carbon-capture activity. That sits alongside the Alliance gas expansion concept and GLEC’s stated CCS optionality.

For context on Meta’s current scale, Louisiana officials and market reports detail a $10 billion AI-optimized data-centre build in Richland Parish, with reporting indicating supporting power infrastructure in the multi-gigawatt range.

Pembina Pipeline last traded at $58.77 on the TSX.

Information for this story was found via The Logic and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.