British Columbia proposed legislation to limit how much electricity will be available to artificial intelligence data centers, and moved to permanently ban new cryptocurrency mining projects.
The government of Canada’s third-most populous province will prioritize connections to its power grid for other purposes like mines and natural gas facilities because they provide more jobs and revenue for people in BC, the energy ministry said Monday.
“Other jurisdictions have been challenged to address electricity demands from emerging sectors and, in many cases, have placed significant rate increases on the backs of ratepayers,” the department said Monday.
That’s a reference to US states like Virginia and Maryland, where a proliferation of the power-hungry data centers needed for AI appears to be pushing up citizens’ power bills, according to a Bloomberg analysis. BC “is receiving significant requests for power” from these industries, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said at a press conference.
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I agree with this. Differentiate pricing, keeping it reasonable or even profitable for the public and incentivizing private capital to invest in building their own energy production for these uses so they get off the public grid, as long as that energy production is well-regulated and aligned with renewable energy transition goals.
That is a very bad idea. The last thing you want is companies having the ability to build hydro dams or small nuclear power generators.
AI and Bitcoin are NOT a requirement for people to live. Affordable potable water is.
Did you ignore the “well-regulated” bit, or you just don’t think that’s possible?
AI and bitcoin should also be treated as different issues, as the Province is doing.