Bitfarms is converting its eight Quebec crypto mining facilities into AI and high-performance computing data centres, redirecting 170 megawatts of provincial power away from blockchain and toward artificial intelligence.
The shift comes as Hydro-Québec doubles electricity rates for large data centres to 13 cents per kilowatt hour, pending regulatory approval. The utility expects provincial data centre demand to grow sevenfold by 2035. Hydro-Québec previously restricted new crypto mining projects, citing limited job creation and high energy use. Critics note AI data centres raise similar concerns. Bitfarms’ pivot signals AI may now command the megawatts once reserved for cryptocurrency.
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