TransAlta Data Centre Application

Area Structure Plan and Land Use Bylaw Amendments Approved

The proposed amendments to the Highvale End Land Use Area Structure Plan and Parkland County Land Use Bylaw were approved by Parkland County Council on September 4th, 2025. The following Bylaws were passed:

Bylaw 2025-22 Amendment to Bylaw 2016-12 Highvale End Land Use Area Structure Plan

Bylaw 2025-23 Amendment to Land Use Bylaw 2025-12 – New Direct Control District and Section 5.80 Data Processing Facility Regulations

Bylaw 2025-24 Amendment to include lands into the New Direct Control District - Keephills

Bylaw 2025-25 Amendment to include lands into the New Direct Control District – Sundance

Bylaw 2025-26 Amendment to Land Use Bylaw 2025-12 Keephills Direct Control District

The finalized Bylaws are posted under the Project Documents portion of this webpage.

What are the Next Steps?

Any future development for a Data Processing Facility on the amended TransAlta lands will require a Master Site Development Plan (MSDP) and a Development Permit, subject to County approval. If the County receives an application for a MSDP and/or a Development Permit, this project webpage will be updated with any relevant public engagement opportunities and application materials. Stay subscribed to be notified of any updates.

Sundance SiteExisting Keephills Generating Station Site

New Proposed Keephills Site

Public Hearing

A Public Hearing for the Area Structure Plan and Land Use Bylaw Amendment applications was held on September 3 and 4, 2025. Thank you to everyone who participated and provided verbal and written submissions.

Public Open Houses

Thank you to everyone who participated in the TransAlta-led Open Houses held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, and Thursday, June 19, 2025. There were several attendees from around the County who provided valuable feedback on the proposed applications.

The feedback has been summarized in a What We Heard Report prepared by the applicant. This What We Heard Report and all materials used at the Open Houses are published on this project webpage under the project document panel.

Thank you to everyone who attended the TransAlta-led Open Houses on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 and Wednesday July 30, 2025 to provide feedback on the proposed amendments.

What are Data Centres?

Data centres are an emerging industrial land use that house computer systems and their components, including servers, storage systems, and telecommunications equipment. These facilities manage, store, and process the vast amounts of data that underpin our modern life and economy. Whether it’s streaming a movie, conducting an online meeting, posting on social media, or completing a credit card transaction, the operations are supported by data centres.

Data centres resemble an ordinary industrial facility from the outside; however, they are highly specialized inside, featuring robust cooling systems, extensive security measures, and cutting-edge infrastructure.

How are Data Centres Regulated?

Alberta’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Centres Strategy(External link) was released in December of 2024 to illustrate the province’s commitment to attracting responsible investment into this growing sector and position our province as a global leader in data centre operations due to its natural resources, cold climate, competitive tax rates, and business-friendly regulatory environment.

Data centres employ highly efficient cooling and power systems that require water and energy consumption. Comprehensive environmental impact assessments are conducted for every project to ensure minimal ecological disruption.

Due to their complexity, every data centre built in Alberta must comply with a layered framework of Federal, Provincial, and Municipal regulations. Each body and set of regulations cover a wide range of considerations, including land use, environmental impact, building safety codes, power infrastructure, and occupational health and safety.

State-of-the-art security systems and comprehensive emergency response protocols are implemented to safeguard nearby residents and businesses. Strict adherence to Federal privacy regulations, such as the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), ensures the highest standards of data security.

Provincially, data centres must receive Alberta Electrical System Operator (AESO) approvals to ensure these projects do not strain the power grid. Data centres must also get approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) to develop and operate a power generation facility. Specific Rules set out noise control requirements and permissible sound levels as well as application requirements for power plants. In addition to the above approvals, depending on the scope of the data centre, they may also require approval from several other key Provincial authorities.

Municipalities also play a critical role in regulating land use for data centres. Through statutory plans, the County sets the long-range vision for growth and development in the County and regulates specific uses in the Land Use Bylaw. Development permits reviewed and approved by the County focus on matters like intensity of land use, building height, site coverage, setbacks from property lines, proximity to environmentally sensitive areas, impacts to neighbours (and mitigation measures), landscaping, lighting, and parking requirements. For industrial style uses (like data centres), development permits may outline requirements that the development must include mitigation measures for any nuisances that the activity may generate, including:

• Noise;
• Light;
• Environmental impacts; and
• Any other nuisances.

In reviewing an application for a data centre facility, impacts on adjacent and surrounding uses and mitigation measures to eliminate or minimize these impacts must be considered by the County.

Application Status

The applications were submitted to Parkland County on July 17, 2025. The proposed Bylaw amendments were passed by Council on September 4, 2025. Parkland County has not received applications for the development stage of the proposed Data Processing Facility at this time. To be notified of when further applications related to this project are submitted and the status of those applications. please subscribe to this webpage.

Municipal Bylaw Process

The creation or amendments to a municipal bylaw requires three Council Readings and a Public hearing at County Council. For information of the municipal bylaw process, please see the below helpful video:

Questions or Comments?

If you have any questions or comments, please contact Planning and Development Services by phone at 780-968-8888 or by email at buildingparkland@parklandcounty.com.