AI Infrastructure Site Intelligence · North America

Existing power is becoming more valuable than land.

4+
Years to new grid connection
<15g
CO₂/kWh — BC Hydro grid
48h
Desktop screen turnaround
20MW
Sub-hyperscale focus ceiling

AI infrastructure is constrained by power, not capital. We identify which sites actually have it, and produce the structured intelligence that tells investors and developers whether a site deserves commitment, before any engineering firm is called.

Free Desktop Screen

Know in minutes if it clears the gate.

Five binary kill criteria. Toggle what your site has. These are the gates every AI infrastructure site must pass before any further analysis is warranted.

Does your site clear the gate?
In practice we evaluate many more criteria, but these five determine whether a conversation is worth having at all.
Active power connectionExisting utility service, not a new grid application
Industrial zoningPermitted by right, no rezoning required
Fiber infrastructure accessCarrier-grade connectivity within reach
Outside designated flood zoneProvincial or federal flood mapping clear
Low-carbon grid sourceHydro or renewable, qualifies for ESG capital
Readiness Signal
100
Site advances — worth qualifying
A site that passes all five binary gates is worth a full qualification conversation. In practice most sites carry at least one unverified variable, which is exactly what the process is designed to surface.

While others are still doing desktop research, your decision is already made.

Traditional process
6–12 wks
To reach a go or no-go decision
  • Internal desktop research
  • Engage an engineering firm
  • Wait for the feasibility study
  • $15K to $50K in upfront fees
  • Decision made after the LOI is signed
Potentia Intelligence
Days
Same decision. A fraction of the cost.
  • Desktop screen in under 48 hours
  • Full qualification in about a week
  • Structured decision-support output
  • Before any engineering firm is called
  • Before any capital is committed
Global new capacity
100 GW
Projected 2026 to 2030. Doubles the current global installed base.
Grid connection wait
4+ yrs
Average in primary markets.
BC Hydro grid intensity
<15g
CO₂ per kWh. Among the lowest carbon grids in North America.
Sub-hyperscale segment
1–20MW
Underserved by engineering firms. Overlooked by generalist brokers.
Why This Matters Now

The grid is the constraint. Existing power is the asset.

The AI infrastructure buildout is not limited by chips or capital. It is limited by access to power. Sites that already have it are in a category of their own.

01
New grid connections take years

In primary data center markets, the average wait for a new utility connection now exceeds four years. An existing active connection might not wait in that queue. And that might change the entire investment timeline.

02
AI inference demands regional distribution

The shift from training to inference requires proximity to end users. Centralized hyperscale campuses give way to regionally distributed sub-20MW deployments. The sites exist. They are just not qualified.

03
ESG capital needs low-carbon power

Western Canada's hydroelectric grid runs below 15g CO₂ per kWh. For capital with ESG mandates, this opens categories of investment that fossil-fuel grids cannot qualify for. These connections are structurally scarce.

04
The qualification gap is costing deals

Capital allocators and developers want to move fast. Most sites arrive without structured intelligence sufficient to make a commitment decision before an engineering firm is engaged. That gap is what we close.

Qualification Framework

Seven dimensions. Every site.

Every site is evaluated against a structured framework developed specifically for AI infrastructure opportunities below 20MW. The goal is not to predict the future; it is to identify fatal flaws before capital, engineering resources, or management attention are committed.

01
Power Infrastructure

Utility capacity, connection type, and the realistic path to the power level the site needs.

02
Grid Access & Substation

Proximity, transmission voltage, and what the interconnection process requires for the target load.

03
Cooling & Site Conditions

Thermal management feasibility, water access, and physical site characteristics for the target density.

04
Fiber & Connectivity

Carrier availability, route diversity, and the cost of closing any connectivity gap identified.

05
Permitting & Jurisdiction

Zoning status, environmental risk, and the friction level of the local permitting environment.

06
Workforce & Market

Skilled labour availability, competing supply, and demand signals from the operator market.

07
Expansion Pathway

The site's ability to scale beyond Phase 1 in terms of land, power headroom, and structural constraints.

Intelligence Sources

Where the data comes from.

Every data point in a Potentia qualification output carries a source and a confidence tag. Nothing is presented as fact without a traceable origin.

  • Utility filings and service records
    Publicly filed interconnection studies, load applications, rate schedules, and service area maps from regulated utilities.
  • GIS infrastructure mapping
    Substation locations, transmission line routes, and distribution network topology from public GIS datasets.
  • Environmental and flood datasets
    Federal and provincial flood plain mapping, seismic zone classifications, and environmental designation records.
  • Fiber network infrastructure
    Carrier route maps, wholesale fiber availability databases, and point-of-presence data for carrier-grade connectivity.
  • Land title and municipal records
    Title searches, zoning designations, building permits, and planning authority records for the subject parcel.
  • Satellite imagery and site data
    Current and historical satellite imagery for physical site assessment, structure quality, and access evaluation.
  • Industry and operator intelligence
    Publicly available data on competing supply, announced projects, and operator demand signals in the target geography.
Confidence tagging — every data point
Confirmed
Primary source verified
Drawn directly from a utility record, the government filing, land registry, or carrier database. Presented as fact within the report.
Estimated
Derived from public data
Calculated or inferred from public sources with reasonable confidence. Directionally reliable but subject to variation on engineering confirmation.
Requires Verification
Flagged for engineering confirmation
Data point identified but not independently confirmed from a primary source. Presented with the specific verification step required before capital commitment.

This tagging system means every report is explicit about what is known, what is estimated, and what still needs an engineer. That transparency is the product, not a caveat.

Walk through the methodology with us →
Sample Report

See the output before you commit.

The report is the product. Enter your email, and we will send you the illustrative case and offer a call to walk through it if you want.

Illustrative Case · DFW Garland Corridor · Texas

What a full qualification looks like.

An illustrative case study was produced on a publicly available industrial site in the Dallas-Fort Worth Garland corridor. Every section of the methodology is applied in full. No real client data. Full analytical process visible.

  • Where did this data come from?
    Every data point in the report carries a source tag: utility filings, GIS mapping, county records, fiber databases. The data confidence table on the final page lists the source and confidence level for every material input.
  • How was it verified?
    Confirmed data is drawn from primary sources. Estimated data is derived from public records with stated assumptions. Anything requiring engineering confirmation is explicitly tagged as such, not presented as fact.
  • Can I trust these numbers for a real decision?
    The report tells you whether the site is worth an engineering study. That is a different and earlier decision, and it is the one that costs the most time and money when it goes wrong.
Sample — Kill Criteria Gate
Active power connectionPass
Industrial zoning (I-2)Pass
Dual-path fiber confirmedEstimated
100-year flood zone clearPass
Substation within 5 milesPass
Expansion to 30MW is viableConditional

We will send the full illustrative case to your inbox. If you want to walk through the methodology or discuss how it applies to a specific site, we will offer a call at the same time. No obligation.

Illustrative Case

The methodology in practice.

How a qualification process unfolds from initial screen to qualified outcome. Site details anonymized.

Former Industrial Site · Western Canada
Legacy manufacturing campus with active utility connection
Existing power8 MW active
Site area4.2 acres
ZoningHeavy Industrial
Grid sourceHydroelectric
OriginationBroker referral
01
Desktop Screen — Kill Criteria

Five binary criteria evaluated against public records and utility databases. Active power connection confirmed from the utility rate schedule. Industrial zoning confirmed from municipal records. Flood zone status is clear from provincial mapping.

All five kill criteria passed. Site advances to full qualification.
02
Power Path Analysis

Existing 8MW connection confirmed from the primary utility filing. Substation proximity mapped via GIS, confirmed within 3.2 miles. Three-phase power scaling pathway modelled to 20MW based on available transmission capacity at the serving substation.

Power path to 20MW assessed as viable. Upgrade timeline flagged as Requires Verification with utility.
03
Fiber and Connectivity

Two carrier routes were identified within 1.4km of the site boundary from public network mapping. Route diversity confirmed as adequate for AI inference workloads. Direct carrier confirmation is flagged as the required next step before capital commitment.

Fiber: Estimated confidence. Carrier confirmation required before capital commitment.
04
Risk Matrix and Capital Impact

Primary risk identified: cooling retrofit cost for AI rack density. Secondary risk: workforce access in the sub-region. Both risks were modelled with directional capital impact ranges and specific engineering confirmation steps defined.

Site qualifies with two conditional items. Advances to the full report and engineering engagement.
Qualification outcome
Conditional Advance
Site qualifies for engineering engagement. Two items require verification before capital commitment.
Why Potentia Intelligence Exists

This gap is costing deals.

Not a consulting firm. Not a broker. Not an engineering company. An intelligence layer built for the moment in the decision process that everyone skips over.

I
AI demand is real. Power is the constraint.

The buildout of AI infrastructure is accelerating faster than the grid can respond. New utility connections take years. The sites that already have power, former industrial campuses, legacy manufacturing facilities, cannabis operators, and mill sites, have become structurally valuable assets. Most of them do not know it yet.

II
Qualification happens too late. Or not at all.

The standard process puts engineering diligence after the LOI. By then, capital is already committed, and time has been spent on a site that may not qualify. The screening step that should happen first, before any of that, is either done manually on spreadsheets or skipped entirely. That is the gap we built for.

III
Potentia is the intelligence layer before the engineering layer.

We produce structured site qualification intelligence that tells capital allocators, developers, and brokers whether a site deserves deeper commitment — before any engineering firm is called, and before any capital is moved. We are not the next step in the process. We are the gate before it.

Industry Validation

Reviewed by the people who use it.

The methodology has been reviewed and stress-tested in conversation with active practitioners across the infrastructure stack, prior to any commercial engagement.

Utility executives
Grid and utility operations

Practitioners with direct experience in large load interconnection, rate structure, and utility design queue processes in Canadian and US markets.

Data center operators
Deployment and operations

Operators and deployment leads with direct experience qualifying and building sub-hyperscale AI infrastructure in enterprise and neocloud environments.

Infrastructure investors
Capital allocation

Infrastructure investors and capital allocators evaluating sub-20MW AI site opportunities across Western Canada and Ontario deal flow.

Site developers
Development and acquisition

Developers and acquisition teams with active pipelines of industrial sites across the 1MW to 20MW range in Western Canada and select US markets.

The Product

Site intelligence, at the right depth.

Three levels designed to give the right answer at the right moment in the decision process, all faster and at a fraction of the cost of traditional screening.

Level One
Desktop Screen

A fast binary read against the core kill criteria. Designed to eliminate dead-ends quickly, before any engineering engagement, before any capital is moved.

  • Power availability
  • Zoning and land use
  • Flood zone status
  • Fiber infrastructure
  • Substation proximity
  • Grid carbon intensity
Level Two
Full Qualification Report

The complete site qualification. A structured intelligence brief that tells investors, developers, and realtors exactly what a site can support and what stands in the way.

  • Kill criteria gate analysis
  • Seven-dimension readiness assessment
  • GIS substation proximity map
  • Power scaling pathway
  • Risk matrix with capital impact
  • Workforce and labor access
  • Jurisdiction analysis
  • Competitive supply assessment
  • Confidence-tagged data sources
Level Three
Pipeline Intelligence

Ongoing monitoring for developers and capital partners managing active site pipelines. Grid capacity tracking, regulatory changes, and deal flow intelligence across a target geography.

  • Live site pipeline tracking
  • Grid capacity monitoring
  • Regulatory change alerts
  • Origination feed
Who We Serve

Built for everyone who moves capital into sites.

Industrial Realtors
We qualify the site. You close the deal. Walk into any buyer conversation with a structured intelligence brief, not a listing sheet.
PRIMARY CHANNEL
Landowners
Know what your power-ready asset is worth to AI infrastructure capital, before anyone asks an engineering firm.
ORIGINATION
Capital Allocators
A structured go or no-go read before you commit to engineering studies, LOI, or any capital deployment.
$20M TO $200M
Developers
Pre-qualified sites below 20MW in Western Canada and select US markets. The diligence already done.
1 TO 20 MW
Geographic Focus

Where we operate.

Primary
Western Canada
BC Hydro · 98% Hydro · <15g CO₂/kWh · Constrained allocation

Existing hydroelectric connections carry a structural scarcity premium. Provincial allocation constraints on new large industrial loads make active connections on former industrial sites among the most defensible power assets on the continent for ESG-mandated capital.

Secondary
Ontario
IESO · Active sub-20MW pipeline

Active deal flow across Ontario's industrial corridor. Strong fiber infrastructure and an established data center market with favourable regulatory conditions for new industrial power users.

Tertiary
Select US
Texas ERCOT · Pacific Northwest

ERCOT's deregulated market offers competitive power pricing for AI inference. The Pacific Northwest mirrors the hydroelectric profile of Western Canada with established hyperscaler demand clusters already in place.

Common Questions

The questions worth asking first.

1
How is this different from what an engineering firm does?
+
Engineering firms get called after the decision to pursue a site has already been made, typically after an LOI is signed. Their work starts where ours ends. We answer the question that comes before theirs: is this site worth the engineering study at all? We compress weeks of internal desktop research into a structured brief delivered in days. If the site passes our qualification, the engineering firm makes sense. If it does not, you have saved significant time and money.
2
Do I need to own a site to work with you?
+
No. We work with industrial realtors who want to qualify a listing before taking it to AI infrastructure buyers. We work with capital allocators who need a go or no-go read before committing to an LOI. We work with developers sourcing pre-qualified sites. And we work with landowners who want to understand what their power-ready asset is worth before anyone asks an engineering firm. The entry point depends on where you are in the process.
3
What happens if the site does not qualify?
+
You find out fast and cheaply rather than slowly and expensively. A site that fails the screen gets a clear explanation of which criteria it failed and why, so you know whether the failure is permanent or potentially correctable. Either way you have an honest answer before anyone has spent real money. That answer is worth more than a positive result that turns out to be wrong.
4
Why focus on sites below 20MW? Isn't that too small?
+
Too small for hyperscalers. Not too small for the market. Hyperscalers will not engage below 50MW. Enterprise AI operators, inference-focused cloud providers, and neocloud companies are actively deploying in the 1 to 20MW range. This segment is genuinely underserved: engineering firms ignore it because the fees do not justify the work, and generalist brokers do not understand the technical requirements. That gap is why the qualification layer we provide does not exist at scale in North America yet.
5
How confident can I be in the data before an engineering study is done?
+
Every data point in our report is tagged as Confirmed, Estimated, or Requires Verification. Confirmed means it came from a primary source: a utility filing, a land registry record, a government database. Estimated means it was derived from public data with stated assumptions. Requires Verification means the data point was identified but not independently confirmed, and the report tells you exactly what the confirmation step is. You always know what you know and what you do not.

Have a site.
Not sure if it qualifies?

Start with a 30-minute conversation. Bring the site location, a sense of the power connection, and your questions. We will tell you honestly whether it is worth pursuing further.

Book a Free 30-Minute Call Or email us directly →