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The federal government of the Canadian province of Alberta has introduced plans to ban new renewables tasks on high-quality agricultural land and inside a 35 km radius of areas with pristine views, following an almost seven-month pause on approvals for such installations.
The federal government of the western Canadian province of Alberta has ended a nearly seven-month lengthy moratorium on approving renewable power tasks. The pause began in August 2023, when the Alberta Utilities Fee started an inquiry into land use and reclamation.
Upon lifting the ban on Feb. 29, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated the federal government would now take an “agriculture first” method to future renewables tasks. It plans to ban renewable energy tasks on agricultural land deemed to have glorious or good irrigation potential, along with establishing 35 km buffer zones around areas the federal government classifies as having pristine views.
The Canadian Renewable Vitality Affiliation (CanREA) has welcomed the tip of the ban and stated it didn’t have an effect on operational tasks or tasks already below development. Nevertheless, it stated it expects the impression to be seen within the coming years. It stated the ban on approvals has “created a local weather of uncertainty with damaging penalties for investor confidence in Alberta.”
“Whereas the pause has lifted, there stays important uncertainty and danger for buyers wishing to take part in Canada’s hottest marketplace for renewables.,” stated CanREA President and CEO Vittoria Bellissimo. “It’s important to get these coverage modifications proper, and to take action shortly.”
The affiliation stated the federal government’s resolution to make some elements of the province off-limits for renewables is “disappointing.” It stated it means native communities and landowners will miss out on the advantage of renewables, equivalent to related tax revenues and lease funds.
“Wind power and photo voltaic power have a protracted document of co-location with productive agricultural land use,” stated the affiliation. “CanREA will work with the federal government and the AUC to hunt alternatives to proceed with these helpful approaches.”
Alberta is at the forefront of Canadian renewables growth. Figures from CanREA present that the province accounted for greater than 92% of Canada’s total development in renewable power and energy-storage capability in 2023. It added 2.2 GW of put-in in renewables capability the final 12 months, together with 329 MW utility-scale photo voltaic and 24 MW of on-site photo voltaic.
CanREA stated one other 3.9 GW of tasks with the potential to return online in 2025 are within the pipeline, alongside one other 4.4 GW of proposed tasks with later commissioning dates. But it surely warned that these are all now “in danger.”
Figures from the Worldwide Vitality Company present that at the finish of 2022, Canada’s cumulative photo voltaic capability hit 4.4 GW. Alberta had the second-most installations, at 1.3 GW, solely exceeded by Ontario at 2.7 GW. The nation has set a goal of 35 GW of whole photo voltaic capability by 2050.
