The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Aug. 14, edition that the Ontario government is creating a framework for new data centres in response to a surge of proposals, leading some municipalities to consider temporary construction bans. The Globe's Joe Castaldo writes that Premier Doug Ford announced plans to encourage developers to build their own power-generation facilities and is proposing a separate electricity rate for large projects. Data centres consuming over one megawatt would face higher rates, which would apply to nearly all new AI-equipped centres. Mr. Ford said developments must benefit local economies and meet environmental standards for water use and noise. Canada has seen a surge in data-centre proposals due to rising demand for artificial intelligence models. Unlike traditional data centres, AI facilities use vast amounts of electricity, and Ontario lacks sufficient spare capacity. The Progressive Conservative government also ruled out providing financial incentives to encourage construction and said that developers will have to pay for any necessary infrastructure upgrades. These measures will ensure that no costs are passed to consumers, Mr. Ford said.