As Canadians sour on AI data centres over power costs, what does that mean for long‑term investors backing them?
Two‑thirds of Canadians think AI data centres will push up electricity prices – and most already worry households, not tech giants, will end up paying.
According to Abacus Data, 66 percent of Canadians believe building more AI data centres will increase electricity prices, including 33 percent who say prices will rise “a lot.”
Only 14 percent expect little impact and 3 percent think prices could fall.
Concern about higher bills is “remarkably consistent across all regions,” ranging from 62 percent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to 69 percent in Alberta.
Canadians also draw a hard line on who should shoulder those costs.
Abacus Data reports that 81 percent agree “large tech companies should pay the full cost of the electricity and infrastructure they require, not households,” with 57 percent strongly agreeing.
At the same time, 72 percent think building more AI data centres could “pressure the electricity grid and increase costs for families,” and 71 percent say their environmental impact, including electricity and water use, is a “serious concern.”
Despite this, Canadians see AI infrastructure as strategically important.
Abacus Data finds that 57 percent agree “Canada risks falling behind countries like the United States and China if we do not invest in AI infrastructure,” and 56 percent say expanding AI data centres is “essential” if Canada wants to stay competitive globally.
Yet only 49 percent believe AI data centres can bring “meaningful economic investment to smaller communities.”
The public remains unconvinced that AI data centres deliver sufficient jobs.
According to Abacus Data, only 37 percent think expansion will create jobs overall, including 10 percent who say “many good jobs” and 27 percent who say “some jobs.”
A similar share, 35 percent, believe they will “lead to job losses overall,” while 13 percent expect little impact and 16 percent do not know.
A majority, 57 percent, agree AI data centres “do not create enough long-term local jobs to justify the resources they use.”
When projects come closer to home, caution hardens.
If a large AI data centre were proposed in their community, only 16 percent say they would support it, 34 percent would oppose it and 39 percent say “it would depend on the specific details.”
Another 11 percent are not sure.
Younger Canadians (18–29) are the most opposed at 44 percent, while those 60+ are most likely to say it depends.
On public subsidies, the mood is again wary.
Abacus Data finds only 31 percent say governments “should” provide financial incentives to attract AI data centres, while 48 percent say they “should not” and 21 percent are unsure.
Opposition is strongest among older Canadians and New Democratic Party supporters, 60 percent of whom say governments should not provide incentives, including 37 percent who say they “definitely should not.”
Regulation is one of the few areas with broad agreement.
According to Abacus Data, 82 percent say governments should “strictly regulate AI data centres to protect Canadian interests.”
Seventy percent believe AI data centres will “primarily benefit large tech companies more than everyday Canadians,” and 67 percent say they give “too much power to a small number of large tech companies.”
Abacus Data sums up the tension this way: Canadians are “wary of concentrated corporate benefit paired with diffuse public cost,” even as majorities accept that AI infrastructure matters for competitiveness.
With only 16 percent expressing outright support for a local AI data centre and 39 percent saying “it depends,” the firm says social licence will hinge on “engagement, transparency, and the ability to demonstrate clear, localized benefits.”
