• A Leger poll found 81% worried about higher household bills, while 79% cited electricity, water and emissions concerns
• Support for Canadian data centres exceeded opposition, but near-even local splits signal siting battles ahead
The fact
A Leger poll of 1,505 Canadians, conducted between 10 and 13 July, found that 81% of respondents were concerned AI data centres could raise household electricity bills. A similar share, 79%, cited environmental concerns, including electricity and water use and greenhouse-gas emissions.
The survey found that 46% supported building data centres to support Canadian-based AI services and give Canada greater control over its data, while 37% opposed the idea. Opinion was more evenly divided on local development: 44% supported a data centre in their own province, while 42% opposed one.
On electricity supply, 58% said provincial governments or utilities should provide power. Just under a third said companies should have access to public supply only if they paid the full cost of the electricity and required infrastructure, while 31% said operators should meet their own energy needs.
The online survey did not use random sampling, so it cannot be assigned a margin of error. Global News reported that most planned Canadian expansion is expected in Alberta, where facilities could use dedicated natural-gas generation rather than relying on the public grid.
The assessment
Canadians were more positive when data centres were framed as supporting domestic AI services and greater control over Canadian data than when asked about a project in their own province. The poll does not establish why that gap exists, but its findings on electricity bills, power use and water consumption show which local concerns are already prominent.
The practical issue is whether new capacity comes with a clear plan for supplying and funding its power and water needs. This poll does not point to one preferred model, but it shows that the terms of public electricity supply—including who pays for power and supporting infrastructure—matter to respondents. That makes cost allocation part of the project case alongside power availability. Disclosures on generation, grid connections and water use would show whether supporting infrastructure is included in the operator's budget or left to the wider system.
The poll cannot predict regulatory decisions or project outcomes, but it indicates that investment and data-sovereignty benefits may be weighed against those local requirements.
What to watch
Watch for provincial or utility decisions that specify who pays for data-centre connections and dedicated generation, alongside project disclosures on water use. Alberta is the clearest near-term market because most planned Canadian expansion is expected there. Tariffs, interconnection agreements and self-generation plans would show how operators and the wider power system divide the supporting costs.