Community-First Growth: Rocky View County's Plan for AI Data Centres

Rocky View County's AI Data Centre Push: What IT and Development Teams Need to Know

Rocky View County is setting up clear paths for AI data centre growth while keeping community impact in check. For builders, operators, and technical leads, this means defined zones, faster reviews, and higher expectations for siting and infrastructure plans.

What's already in motion

• Beacon Area Structure Plan approved and rezoning completed in June, opening a 900-acre AI hub for phased buildouts.
• Structured data centre developments in east Balzac: Cal-2 and Cal-3.
• Dedicated Data Centre Land Use Bylaw requirements and a streamlined review process for applications.
• Active collaboration with proponents across three AI-related campuses, with room for additional projects.

Siting still matters: the Kineticor signal

The recent Kineticor application showed the County welcomes the right type of investment, but not at the expense of agricultural producers. Location is the swing factor.

"Based on what we heard from residents, this particular site was not appropriate," Reeve Crystal Kissel said. "If Rocky View County is to move forward with AI data centres, we must find the right location, and there are other areas in the County that are better suited to support this type of development."

Implications for data centre planners and engineering leads

• Prioritize Beacon ASP lands and east Balzac (Cal-2 and Cal-3) to align with approved growth areas and reduce friction.
• Expect rigorous scrutiny on agricultural impact, setbacks, and buffers. Bring alternatives and mitigation options.
• Show clear interconnection, water, and cooling strategies. Prepare options for dry cooling and heat reuse where viable.
• Demonstrate community compatibility: traffic plans, noise attenuation, visual screening, and emergency response readiness.
• Be explicit about compute profiles (training vs. inference), power density, and modular phasing to match grid and water constraints.

Technical checklist to speed approvals

• Power and grid: pre-consult on AESO interconnection, substation needs, and staged capacity. See the AESO connection overview here.
• Cooling: align with ASHRAE data centre guidelines and present climate-appropriate envelopes and setpoints. Reference ASHRAE resources.
• Water: quantify annual and peak use, identify non-potable sources where possible, and plan for water stress scenarios.
• Network: document fiber routes, dark fiber options, and latency to Calgary and key IX points; plan diverse paths.
• Resilience: dual utility feeds where possible, on-site generation strategy, fuel logistics, and N+1/2N design rationale.
• Sustainability: PUE targets, hourly carbon matching strategy, waste heat offtake options, and end-of-life decommissioning.
• Construction: phased delivery plan, local hiring commitments, and supply chain risk controls for long-lead equipment.

How to engage Rocky View County effectively

• Book a pre-application meeting to confirm fit with the Beacon ASP or east Balzac plans before deep design work.
• Map land use bylaw requirements to your design early: heights, setbacks, noise, lighting, screening, and access.
• Run an agricultural impact assessment and pre-negotiate buffers with adjacent landowners.
• Submit a community engagement plan: touchpoints, timelines, and how feedback shapes design choices.
• Bring a full utilities package: electrical one-lines, interconnection timeline, water balance, and stormwater controls.

Bottom line

Rocky View County is open for AI data centres in the right places, with a clear process and an emphasis on responsible land use. Teams that align with Beacon ASP or east Balzac, de-risk utilities, and prove community fit will move faster.

If you're building technical teams for AI infrastructure, you can explore role-based training options at Complete AI Training.