British Columbia proposed legislation to limit how much electricity will be available to artificial intelligence data centers, and moved to permanently ban new cryptocurrency mining projects.

The government of Canada’s third-most populous province will prioritize connections to its power grid for other purposes like mines and natural gas facilities because they provide more jobs and revenue for people in BC, the energy ministry said Monday.

“Other jurisdictions have been challenged to address electricity demands from emerging sectors and, in many cases, have placed significant rate increases on the backs of ratepayers,” the department said Monday.

That’s a reference to US states like Virginia and Maryland, where a proliferation of the power-hungry data centers needed for AI appears to be pushing up citizens’ power bills, according to a Bloomberg analysis. BC “is receiving significant requests for power” from these industries, Energy Minister Adrian Dix said at a press conference.

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[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca -2 points 3 days ago (3 children)

As a resident of BC, I don't see why a ban is necessary.

Just set the price for those use cases high enough to both limit and make a significant profit off it, then use that profit to build out more clean energy infrastructure in the province (Solar, Wind, maybe another Dam if it makes sense)

[–] DoPeopleLookHere@sh.itjust.works 13 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Why? What value does Bitcoin mining bring to BC?

[–] villasv@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago

the air conditioning industry booming /s

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca -4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Profit selling electricity?

I don't care about the bitcoin, but if other people want to give us a large amount of money for electricity then we can just build more capacity with the profit and reduce the price for everyone else.

[–] DoPeopleLookHere@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

Electricity is only so profitable. And if it was so easy to spin up power to meet their demand, but clearly that didn't happen, and is effecting residents.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

That won't limit anything, though. It will just make the collapse of our grid, more profitable for the governemnt.

[–] adespoton@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 days ago

That’s a confusing statement. BC Hydro is owned by the people of BC (I remember getting divided cheques in the mail after the Enron collapse when BC Hydro was covering the shortfalls in California) and “our grid” is the Pacific Grid, which will collapse the same way whether there is energy abuse in BC or not. It handles various smelters and US energy exports OK right now though.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Higher prices limit purchasing, that's just standard economics.

If the grid is at risk of collapse, they just jack up the price such that everyone stops using it for those purposes.

The grid isn't anywhere near risk of collapse though.

[–] Archangel1313@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Higher prices limit purchasing, that's just standard economics.

That ignores the profit motive behind those purchases. The increase in price will simply be passed along to the customer, and have no impact on how much power is used. It will simply get more expensive.

[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 1 points 2 days ago

For bitcoin, the price of electricity directly impacts your profitability. You actually turn the miners off at a certain price point because they will lose you money. There's no customer to pass it on to.

For AI, the companies are not profitable right now anyways, price for electricity will absolutely impact usage rates.

Besides, when we're talking about grid collapse you're referring to things like extreme weather events, you don't need a ban to just turn off an AI datacenter for three days during a massive winter storm or heat dome.

[–] AGM@lemmy.ca 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I agree with this. Differentiate pricing, keeping it reasonable or even profitable for the public and incentivizing private capital to invest in building their own energy production for these uses so they get off the public grid, as long as that energy production is well-regulated and aligned with renewable energy transition goals.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

... incentivizing private capital to invest in building their own energy production

That is a very bad idea. The last thing you want is companies having the ability to build hydro dams or small nuclear power generators.

AI and Bitcoin are NOT a requirement for people to live. Affordable potable water is.

[–] AGM@lemmy.ca -1 points 3 days ago

Did you ignore the "well-regulated" bit, or you just don't think that's possible?

AI and bitcoin should also be treated as different issues, as the Province is doing.