Question 1

What is the BC Hydro 2026 Call for Demand?

Accepted Answer

It is a competitive selection process BC Hydro launched in 2026 to allocate a limited pool of new electricity capacity to emerging industries — principally AI and data centres. For the two-year period beginning February 1, 2026, BC Hydro made available roughly 100 MW for conventional data centres and 300 MW for AI data centres, with no single project allowed more than 145 MW. Initial applications closed March 9, 2026 (with $25,000/MW bid security), and successful applicants are expected to be notified around September 2026.

Question 2

What happens if my data centre does not win a BC Hydro power allocation?

Accepted Answer

A grid allocation is no longer the only path to energizing a campus. Because demand for the 2026 Call for Demand far exceeds the ~400 MW available, many financeable projects will not receive capacity — or will need more than the 145 MW per-project cap. Those projects can still be built by generating power behind the meter: on-site generation plus grid-scale storage lets a campus energize on the developer's timeline instead of waiting years in the interconnection queue.

Question 3

How can I power an AI data centre in BC without a grid connection?

Accepted Answer

With behind-the-meter power. GRECO develops energy-first campuses where on-site generation, grid-scale battery storage and liquid cooling are engineered in from day one, so compute does not wait on grid capacity. Where clean utility power is available it is used; where it is not, the campus generates its own — and exports recovered heat to district energy. You offtake finished, powered capacity from one counterparty.

Question 4

How much data-centre power did BC Hydro actually make available?

Accepted Answer

For the two years from February 1, 2026, BC Hydro was restricted to about 100 MW of new capacity for conventional data centres and 300 MW for AI data centres (plus any unused conventional capacity), with a 145 MW ceiling per project. Against the volume of AI and data-centre demand in the province, that pool is heavily oversubscribed.

Question 5

Does behind-the-meter power still fit BC's evaluation criteria?

Accepted Answer

It fits them well. BC weighs applications on data sovereignty, job creation, environmental impact, community benefit and First Nations involvement. An energy-first campus that recovers ~97% of its heat and exports it to neighbourhood energy, firms the local grid with storage, and is built with First Nations equity partnership speaks directly to those criteria — whether the power comes from the grid, on-site generation, or both.

The grid pool is capped. Energize anyway.