Meta’s Alberta Project Gains Ground Once the Details Are Clear

Alberta is quickly becoming a major testing ground for Canada’s AI infrastructure ambitions. In our national survey on AI data centres, Canadians were generally open to their development, although opinions became more divided when projects were proposed within their own province.

Our latest Alberta survey brings that debate closer to the ground by asking residents about the proposed Meta AI data centre in Sturgeon County and the rules that should apply to projects of this scale. Support grows when the investment, jobs and infrastructure commitments are clearly explained, while questions around electricity access, public costs and future approvals remain central to the conversation.

• Half of Albertans favour stricter rules for large AI data centres.
• 44% support the proposed Meta AI data centre in Sturgeon County, while 36% oppose it.
• After learning more about the project’s investment, jobs and energy commitments, 57% say it is a good deal for Alberta.
• Electricity demand and power prices are the leading concerns, while investment in Alberta is seen as the main potential benefit.
• Albertans are closely divided on development near their community: 41% would support a large AI data centre within approximately 25 kilometres of their home, while 44% would oppose it and 14% are unsure.

We first asked Albertans what they thought of the proposed Meta project based on what they knew at the time. Support outweighed opposition, though not by a wide margin: 44% supported the project, 36% opposed it and 20% were unsure or had not heard enough.

We then added the details that make the proposal more concrete: more than $13 billion in investment, over 3,000 construction workers at peak and more than 300 jobs once the facility is operating. Respondents also learned that Meta says it will pay for the new energy generation and grid infrastructure the project requires. With that fuller picture, 57% described the project as a good deal for Alberta, compared with 27% who considered it a bad deal.

The company has also announced approximately $60 million in local infrastructure improvements and says the facility will use a closed-loop cooling system designed to avoid operational water use for cooling. These commitments are outlined in Meta’s announcement about its first Canadian data centre.

The shift in opinion is meaningful. It shows that project specifics can shape how Albertans assess the opportunity, especially when the economic contribution and the company’s responsibilities are easy to understand.

Alberta has identified AI data centres as an economic opportunity and has developed a provincial strategy for attracting new projects while protecting the affordability, reliability and stability of the electricity grid. Our survey shows that Albertans are paying close attention to that balance.

Only 12% say large AI data centres should be allowed to use Alberta’s electricity grid under the same terms as other major industrial customers. Another 23% would permit access if operators pay the full additional cost of electricity, transmission and required infrastructure. Meanwhile, 29% believe these projects should arrange their own dedicated electricity supply and pay all grid-connection costs, and 22% say large AI data centres should not be approved in Alberta.

Overall, 50% favour the less permissive options, compared with 35% who prefer a more permissive approach. The national results point in a similar direction: 32% of Canadians said operators should pay the full cost of their electricity and required infrastructure, while 31% said companies should be responsible for meeting their own energy needs.

Albertans are almost evenly divided on what the province should do next. Four in ten want Alberta to continue considering and approving large AI data centres under its current rules so the province does not lose investment and jobs to other jurisdictions. A similar proportion, 42%, would prefer a temporary pause while an independent public review examines electricity prices, grid reliability, water use and emissions.

Electricity demand and power prices are the most commonly cited concern, followed by water use, local environmental impacts and taxpayer costs. The perceived benefits are more varied: investment in Alberta ranks first, followed by economic diversification, increased tax revenues and long-term jobs. At the same time, 17% see no significant benefit to attracting AI data centres.

Our survey shows that the economic case for AI data centres resonates with many Albertans when the commitments behind a project are clearly laid out. Future proposals will still face close scrutiny around electricity, water, public costs and local impacts. Clear rules and transparent commitments will play an important role in determining how those projects are received.

This study is based on an online survey of 1,000 Alberta residents aged 18 and older, conducted from July 17 to 19, 2026, using Leger’s LEO online panel. Results were weighted according to age, gender and region to ensure a representative sample of Alberta’s population. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample, but for comparison, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of ±3.1%, 19 times out of 20.

The national comparisons are drawn from a separate Leger survey of 1,505 Canadian adults conducted from July 10 to 13, 2026. Question wording differed between the two studies, so the national findings are included for context.