BC Hydro has opened applications for an initial 400 megawatts of electricity over two years, and will make its final project selection in September. Industries like mining, forestry, manufacturing and hydrogen won’t need to apply for power. (The Logic)

Talking point: B.C. Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon said the rationing will help the province “avoid missteps that we’ve seen happen in other jurisdictions.” In the U.S., new data centres hooking up to the grid are driving the need for more power generation and connection infrastructure, driving up wholesale prices, ultimately increasing electricity bills for regular ratepayers. Several major operators are already active in B.C., including Bell—which says it has already secured the 500 megawatts it needs for six new facilities—and IREN, a former Bitcoin miner. The province has already banned new crypto data centres from accessing the grid. Alberta and Ontario are also trying to manage the energy demands of the AI boom by choosing which new compute facilities get power or charging them fees.