Canada's making some serious moves on the energy front. Prime Minister Mark Carney just dropped a joint plan with Alberta that's got three major pieces: a new oil pipeline getting the green light, what they're calling a "massive" carbon capture initiative, and here's the kicker—nuclear power facilities specifically designed to juice up data centers.

The nuclear angle is what catches attention here. Data centers are energy-hungry beasts, and with mining operations and AI infrastructure constantly demanding more power, traditional grids are buckling. Nuclear offers that stable baseload power without the emissions baggage.

Alberta's been positioning itself as a mining-friendly zone for years now, with cheap electricity rates drawing in operations. This nuclear push could cement that advantage, especially as other jurisdictions crack down on energy-intensive activities.

The carbon capture component is interesting timing too. There's been endless debate about proof-of-work's environmental footprint, and pairing energy expansion with carbon mitigation tech is a politically savvy play. Whether it's genuinely effective or just greenwashing theater remains to be seen.

Bottom line: if you're running infrastructure or watching where the next wave of mining capacity builds out, Canada's infrastructure bet is worth monitoring. Energy policy shapes where hash power flows, and this plan signals they're competing for that business.