Alberta Releases New Renewable Energy Regulations
December 10, 2024
The government of Alberta has announced regulations for renewable energy development around reclamation, land-use, and viewscapes.
Amendments to the Activities Designation Regulation and Conservation and Reclamation Regulation includes reclamation requirements across all forms of renewable energy operations, including a mandatory reclamation security requirement.
The Electric Energy Land Use and Visual Assessment Regulation follows an ‘agriculture first’ approach and enhances protections for municipalities’ most productive lands, establishing the need to consider potential irrigability and whether projects can co-exist with agricultural operations.
“The Order in Council released by the Government of Alberta today does not provide a clear regulatory standard for the Alberta Utilities Commission to follow,” commented CanREA via LinkedIn. “Between regulatory uncertainty, a punitive approach to market restructuring, and real problems getting clean power to market over congested wires, Alberta is undermining an industry crucial for its long-term success.
“It doesn’t do much to restore confidence in renewable energy developments,” Pembina Institute’s Jason Wang told the Canadian Press. “It’s not clear exactly how those impact assessments will be used or assessed. So for developers it’s still wrapped in uncertainty over exactly how you should be developing a project.”
The new Electric Energy Land Use and Visual Assessment Regulation also establishes specific guidelines to prevent projects from impacting pristine viewscapes. By establishing buffer zones and visual impact assessment zones, Alberta’s government is ensuring that industrial power projects the size of the Calgary Tower cannot be built in front of UNESCO World Heritage sites and other specified viewscapes, which will support the continued growth and success of Alberta’s tourism sector.
More than 82,000 square kilometers fall into the visual impact assessment. The zone requirements come into effect imediately, and reclamation security begins January 1.
View the full press release HERE
