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Tech Growth, Grid Strain: Powering the AI Economy

Event Partners:

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The Quay, 100 Queens Quay East, 3rd Floor

In Person

Did you know: ChatGPT fields 1 billion messages a day—and that demand adds up. It uses about 1.059 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually, with each search drawing nearly ten times more energy than a Google search. And it’s not alone. The rapid growth of AI across platforms is fueling a global surge in energy use. In Ontario, electricity demand is expected to rise 75% by 2050, driven in part by the energy needs of AI data centres and EV manufacturing.

Data centres are expanding fast—and they’re quietly reshaping Ontario’s energy future. As major tech players ramp up infrastructure across the Toronto region, energy demand is rising sharply. This isn’t just an issue for utilities: it’s a business concern with implications for site selection, operating costs, growth timelines, and competitiveness.

Ontario’s electricity system wasn’t built for the pace of digital growth we’re seeing. Energy planning, permitting, and delivery are struggling to keep up—especially as the province courts new investment and positions itself as a tech and innovation hub.

This session brings together the leaders tasked with solving that tension.

Join industry speakers as we explore what data centre growth means for energy supply, where planning gaps remain, and how businesses can stay ahead of infrastructure constraints before they become barriers to growth.

If your business is using, deploying, or powering AI, you need to know how the Ontario grid can actually deliver. This is your chance to find out.

Register

What you'll gain

  • A clear read on the energy pressures driven by cloud infrastructure and AI expansion
  • Insights into how utilities, generators and policymakers are responding—and what’s not moving fast enough
  • Strategic takeaways for developers, tech leaders, and business operators navigating Ontario’s evolving power landscape

About the speakers

Keynote and Panelist: Chuck Farmer (IESO) — Chief Energy Transition Officer and Vice-President of Planning, Conservation & Resource Adequacy

  • The IESO has recently published its 2025 Annual Planning Outlook which forecasts a 75% increase (262 TWh) in annual energy demand by 2050, he will offer perspectives on what data centre infrastructure growth means for energy supply, and how businesses can stay ahead of infrastructure constraints before they become barriers to growth.

Patrick Dalzell (Bruce Power) — Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Market Development

  • With demand for electricity forecasted to rise,  Bruce Power’s nuclear units provide the baseload to support the long-term reliability, affordability and sustainability of Ontario’s electricity system, including with respect to rising demand from data centres, and the opportunity for co-location for data centre build out with a secure critical infrastructure site. 

Heidi Bredenholler-Prasad (Enbridge Gas) — Vice President and Chief Customer Officer

  • As demand for electricity soars, utilities like Enbridge are well positioned to provide the baseload power that can support the needs of data centre growth, including the possibility of co-location of generation and demand.

Andy Fenton (Telehouse) – VP, Sales & Marketing

  • As data centre operations and technologies become more sophisticated, it is important to explore how technologies and practices can support flexible energy demand strategies and improve grid connections. 

Moderator: Alex Bettencourt (Accenture) — Canada Utilities Strategy & Consulting Lead

  • Will provide some macro context on the growth of investment and energy demands of data centres, including hyperscalers, and reference trendlines in the evolving energy landscape.

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