News Release: Alberta hints at more unfair restrictions for renewable energy
August 2, 2024
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Last year’s moratorium on renewable energy projects imposed by the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) was supposed to clarify regulations and bring certainty to the renewable energy industry. Instead, the Alberta government still hasn’t clarified all the rules and is now hinting at more unfair restrictions that would only be applied to renewables, and not for more destructive industries like the oil and gas sector.
Last week, the province hosted a webinar for stakeholders (rural landowners and renewables developers) on how to take an “agriculture first” approach to renewables development. It also posted an official engagement survey for the same group with no option for other groups (i.e. conservation organizations) or members of the public to comment. Since restrictions on renewable energy development will ultimately affect all Albertans, there should be space for the public to speak.
According to info from the webinar and survey, the province is considering a ban on renewable development on any piece of land that is at least 30 percent native grassland — a rule not imposed on oil and gas development. The info from the government also seems to hint at a potential ban on renewable developments on lands deemed by the government as suitable for irrigation, and it will most likely ban it on land currently under irrigation.
“We support strong, science-based restrictions on development that protects the environment,” says Ruiping Luo, AWA conservation specialist. “However, these restrictions must be applied fairly across all sectors. To save this deteriorating ecosystem, other developments, including oil and gas, mining and residential development, must also avoid native grassland.”
The Alberta government has already rolled out unfair restrictions on renewables recently. That included a ban on development on Class 1 and 2 agricultural lands (lands with good soil) unless it’s proven that agricultural productivity of the area can be maintained post-installation of the development. Now, the government is suggesting at least 80 percent of pre-installation agriculture productivity must be maintained.
Adding protections to help protect grasslands and agricultural lands will do little good if they are only applied to renewables, and in the process, it will hinder Alberta’s transition to net-zero.
For more information, contact Ruiping Luo (rluo@abwild.ca; 403-283-2025)
