Hydro-Québec says developers of data centres are behind 50 % of the megawatt capacity requests that are still awaiting approval across the province.
The utility notes a sharp rise in electricity demand as companies such as Google and Keel announce plans for new data‑centre facilities in Quebec.
Alexandre Theve of the Collectif Numérique Responsable et Soutenable warned that the public tends to underestimate the scale of the upcoming impact on the grid.