Nathan Neudorf joins finance and innovation colleagues as data center offerings outpace grid capacity.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has added another Nate to the ministerial team as it tries to attract data centers to the province with a $100 billion artificial intelligence (AI) data center strategy.
Neudorf will work with colleagues to accelerate AI-powered data center projects that include self-generating projects.
Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf will work with Innovation Minister Nate Glubisch and Finance Minister Nate Horner to finalize and publicly announce a strategy to attract artificial intelligence data centers to the province. Smith gave the order for a new batch letters of mandate Sent to cabinet ministers this week, it said the strategy must combine “strong investment attractiveness with stable, affordable energy and fair returns for Albertans.”
Neudorf joins the list as proposals for data center projects using artificial intelligence are already outpacing electricity availability. While traditional data centers require between five and 10 megawatts (MW), a single “hyperscale” AI data center typically requires more than 100 MW, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Demand for proposed high-load (data center) projects reached 20.7 gigawatts (20,700 MW) in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), the provincial independent agency that helps oversee electricity. By comparison, the agency's record peak demand is 12,384 MW, set in January 2024.
Smith tasked Neudorf with working with AESO to forecast Alberta's electricity needs, as well as the current state of available power from the province's generators and projects under construction. Neudorf will also work with Glubisch to accelerate the implementation of AI-powered data center projects that include self-generating projects.
Alberta has put forward a data center development strategy in December 2024seeking to attract $100 billion in investment in artificial intelligence data centers through pushing Alberta as a cheap source of abundant natural gas, a less regulated environment for infrastructure projects, a cold climate for easy cooling, and relatively low taxes for companies.
at Glubish was vocal about its desire to make Alberta a premier destination for artificial intelligence data centers, arguing that it would make Alberta more attractive to artificial intelligence companies looking to set up shop with affordable and reliable access to computing power.
Even as Alberta promotes its gas network as a benefit, those building artificial intelligence infrastructure are shunning the province in favor of renewable energy. Telus recently opened its first Sovereign AI Factory data center in Rimouski, Quebec, powered primarily by hydroelectric power. Bell also plans to rely on hydroelectric power. Artificial Intelligence Data Centers in British Columbia. Bell Project Manager Dan Rink told Bloomberg At a web summit in Vancouver, he said it doesn't make sense to choose high-emission natural gas when Canada has plenty of hydroelectric power.
Glubish previously stated BetaKit reported that natural gas is the only way to reliably power AI data centers in Alberta in the short term because the province does not have access to hydroelectric power and nuclear power plants will take too long to build. However, in a mandate letter this week, Smith asked Neudorf to complete public consultation on how nuclear power could fit into Alberta's energy mix, and to develop a nuclear roadmap and regulatory framework to “ensure that projects can be implemented as quickly as possible.”
UPDATE (10/17/2025): This article has been updated with more recent electricity demand data provided by the Alberta Electric System Operator.
Artistic image courtesy of Nathan Neudorf via LinkedIn.
