A Hydro-Québec proposal that might double the price of power for information centres is being put to the take a look at at a public listening to.
The listening to in Montreal will pit tech business actors like Google towards the provincial utility.
Hydro-Québec is asking the Régie de l’énergie, the provincial power regulator, to think about a brand new electrical energy fee for information centres that require a capability of over 5 megawatts.
The proposal would elevate power costs to a median of 13 cents per kilowatt hour.
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The utility says that is round twice as a lot as what information centres pay as massive‑energy clients.
The listening to is scheduled to final till Oct. 9 and can contain actors from a number of industries, together with the Canadian Federation of Unbiased Enterprise.
Hydro-Québec says that increased charges for the sector may restrict the impacts of rising information centre power demand on residential charges.
Vitality prices for information centres in Quebec are presently round six cents per kWh, which is way decrease than in most different jurisdictions, stated power analyst Jean-François Blain.
“It creates an distinctive draw that advantages Quebec, so long as they’ll provide these corporations,” he stated.
With power demand and prices growing, Blain stated Hydro-Québec may not be capable to afford giving information centres the identical advantageous value for lengthy. The brand new fee would convey their charges nearer to these of different areas.
Hydro-Québec stated information centres that will be topic to the brand new fee presently eat 190 MW at peak consumption and will attain 1,000 MW by 2035.
The provincial power regulator might be reviewing whether or not a brand new fee for information centres is truthful and sustainable.
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