The Government of Alberta put a moritorium on renewable energy projects in Alberta from August 2023 until October 2024. During this period, almost 11 GW of of clean energy projects were withdrawn from the devleopment process with the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO). With the lifting of the moratorium, the renewable energy industry was faced with restrictions to areas where projects may be sited (Class 1 and Class 2 agricultural land and 35-kilometre buffer zones around protected areas and other ‘pristine viewscapes’ ) and the adding of regulatory burdens and initial costs through revisions to transmission legislation. New requirements for end-of-life management of technologies and land reclamation exceed the current expectations of the oil & gas industry. Uncertainties over the direction the Government of Alberta will take regarding renewable energy has been said to have discouraged 118 projects, 24,000 jobs, and as much as $33 billion in investment in the near term. The projects would have contributed approximately $263 million in tax revenues to 27 different municipalities in the project – during a period where oil & gas companies have been reneging on their contractual obligations.
The Government of Alberta does not have a comprehensive plan to meet net-zero obligations as legislated by the federal government. There has been some interest shown in emerging (but unproven economically at scale) technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs) and carbon capture. Captured carbon must be permanently removed from the atmosphere to meet the intentions of net-zero emissions, and not simply used in enhance oil production in which the carbon dioxide returns to the surface with the produced oil and gas.
SAGE has recommended to:
– improve the electricity grid for decentralized generation of electricity
– manage demand to optimize intermittent generation by renewable energy technologies
– invest in electricity storage technologies
– collaborate on expanding low-loss, high-voltage DC interprovincial ties with low-emission electricity generation (eg. Hydro), and
– commit to a realizable plan to reach net-zero electricity by 2050.
What can you do? Consider installing a solar power system on your home or property. Challenge the Government of Alberta over the decision to discourage the development of renewable energy in the province and creating a long-term plan for a robust, decentralized electricity grid that provides more flexibility and storage.