Google confirms the buzz around Montréal: City selected as one of its new cloud regions

Hydro-Québec welcomes with great pleasure Google’s announcement that Montréal is selected as one of its new Cloud Regions. Google made the announcement today as part of Next, an annual event aimed at building the future of the cloud. After Microsoft and Amazon, this decision by Google again confirms the enormous benefits the data center industry will enjoy by choosing Québec.

“Hydro-Québec is open for business, says Éric Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro-Québec. Data centers in Montréal are clean data centers. We have the best electricity rates in North America, plenty of energy available and a very competitive business environment. It’s a no-brainer.”

Clean energy
More than 99% of the electricity produced by Hydro-Québec comes from renewable resources, the vast majority of which are hydraulic. Québec hydropower is a clean energy source with very low greenhouse gas emissions, representing only a fiftieth of thermal energy derived from natural gas, a fifth of photovoltaic solar power, and about the same as wind power.

Cheap energy
At the same time, the electricity rates available to data centers in Montréal are extremely competitive. For instance, they are about 4 times lower than those in California and 30% lower than those in Virginia. Not only are Hydro-Québec’s electricity rates exceptionally low, Montréal’s climate favors the optimized use of cooling systems, which cuts operating costs.

Highly qualified workforce in information technology (IT)
Montréal is well known in the international arena for its diversity of businesses, its innovative environment, its concentration of expertise and high-quality infrastructure, and its highly skilled workforce. The information and communications technology (ITC) industry in Montréal is a global pole of excellence and a pillar of economic development in the region.

The Montréal ITC sector has several leading companies in key niche markets, including computer science, telecommunications, special motion picture software, artificial intelligence / deep learning and technology entertainment (Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Eidos, A2M, Cyanide, EA Mobile). Data centers in Montréal therefore have access to a pool of highly skilled labor. Add to that one of world’s most advanced telecommunications networks and the choice is clear.

Privacy
The Québec legislative environment pays particular attention to privacy laws under both federal and provincial legislation. For a company committed to this issue, the province of Québec is therefore one of the most ideal locations in the world to set up a data center.