Is Alberta Actually Changing?
Tracking whether Alberta's economy is genuinely diversifying away from energy, or just growing everything together during a boom.
Industry Composition
Energy Dependency
Business Activity
The Diversification Question
Alberta has been trying to diversify away from energy for decades. The province's current bet: $100B in data centre investment, a tech sector growing 3x faster than the overall economy, and aggressive clean energy transition.
Bull Case
Tech VC funding surpassed BC in 2024. Edmonton AI corridor is real. Data centre zoning in Parkland County. Structural shift underway.
Bear Case
Every previous diversification push faded when oil recovered. Energy still dominates government revenue. Tech gains are from a small base.
Watch For
Oil/Gas GDP share declining even during energy booms. Non-energy business licences growing faster than population. Tech GDP crossing construction GDP.