Rising electricity demand from artificial intelligence infrastructure and large-scale data center development is driving another major power generation project in Alberta, where an Aecon-led consortium has secured a multibillion-dollar construction contract tied to digital infrastructure expansion.
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Aecon Group Inc. announced that TRA, its consortium with Técnicas Reunidas Alberta, Inc., was selected by Greenlight Electricity Centre Limited Partnership for the Greenlight Electricity Centre project in Sturgeon County, Alberta. Aecon said its share of the contract totals approximately $1.7 billion and will be added to the company’s third-quarter 2026 construction backlog.
The Greenlight Electricity Centre is planned as a 932-megawatt natural gas-fired combined-cycle generating facility designed to supply electricity to a colocated data center development. Project developers indicated the site could eventually expand to a permitted generation capacity of 1,864 megawatts.
Construction activities will include civil work for current and future power islands along with mechanical, piping, structural, electrical and instrumentation installation. The contract scope also includes work on the balance of plant systems, switchyard, gas metering station and substation infrastructure.
Aecon stated that the consortium will oversee engineering, procurement, construction execution and commissioning phases for the development.
Construction is expected to begin during the third quarter of 2026, with commercial completion anticipated in 2030.
The project owner, Greenlight Electricity Centre Limited Partnership, is backed by Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners and Kineticor Asset Management.
Aecon said the contract follows earlier engineering and development activities completed for the project. The company also cited recent acquisitions intended to expand its North American power infrastructure capabilities and self-perform capacity.
Utilities, developers and contractors across North America continue to expand power generation and grid infrastructure to support increased electricity consumption tied to AI computing, hyperscale data centers and electrification initiatives.
Large-scale data center projects increasingly require dedicated or colocated power generation assets to address grid reliability concerns and growing energy loads. Contractors with experience in industrial energy facilities, substations and utility infrastructure are seeing increased procurement activity linked to these developments.
Aecon’s previous gas-fired and power infrastructure work includes generating station and cogeneration projects in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Missouri and Tennessee.
The Greenlight Electricity Centre contract adds another large-scale energy infrastructure project connected to the expanding AI and data center construction market. For contractors and construction owners, the development reflects increasing integration between digital infrastructure expansion and utility-scale power generation investment.
The project also highlights continued demand for engineering, procurement and construction expertise in power generation, substations and industrial energy systems as developers seek long-term electricity capacity for mission-critical facilities.
Source: Aecon.
