Premier Doug Ford Unveils Ontario AI Data Center Framework Mandating Sovereign Data Residency

TORONTO, ON — Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli unveiled the Ontario AI and Sovereign Cloud Infrastructure Framework, establishing provincial investment guidelines to attract $10 billion in hyperscale data center construction while protecting the province’s clean electricity grid.

Securing Canadian Data Sovereignty and Clean Nuclear Power Siting

The policy framework directs the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to establish dedicated high-voltage substation connections near nuclear generation hubs in Bruce County, Clarington, and Niagara, requiring data center operators to enter into 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) that support new clean energy development. The framework legally mandates that all public sector healthcare, judicial, and financial records hosted in participating data centers remain permanently stored on Canadian soil subject to Canadian privacy law.

Premier Ford stated that Ontario’s abundant clean nuclear energy makes the province the prime destination for global AI infrastructure, creating thousands of high-tech and union trade jobs.

Tech Consortia and Labor Trades Praise

Technology and cloud providers including Microsoft Canada and AWS welcomed the clear transmission connection rules.

Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario praised the multi-billion dollar construction pipeline.

Substation Siting Guidelines

IESO will publish certified data center grid interconnection maps by November 2026.