(Reuters) – Alberta’s ban on some renewable projects could hurt C$11.1 billion ($8.24 billion) in investments and stall up to 6.3 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power capacity, a study said on Monday.
The new rules potentially affect 42 projects and several thousand jobs, the Pembina Institute, an Alberta-based clean energy think tank, said in the study.
Last month, Canada’s main oil-producing province implemented a ban on renewable power projects proposed for prime agricultural land and also ordered the creation of buffer zones so that wind turbines do not spoil scenic views.
The provincial government has, however, said exceptions would be made if developers can show crops or livestock can exist alongside the project.
Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil producer. The province is also a leader in renewables development.
The ban has attracted criticism from some companies who have said the new rules would create uncertainty and jeopardize investments.
It has put Premier Danielle Smith’s provincial government at odds with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau whose Liberal government is drafting federal regulations to make provinces eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from their grids on a net basis by 2035.
An email sent to the premier’s office requesting comments on the study was not immediately answered.
Out of 111 solar and 34 wind projects proposed in Alberta, 36 solar projects and six wind projects, which are either proposed or awaiting approval, could be affected, the study said.
These projects can potentially double Alberta’s current renewable capacity, it said.
Separately, Alberta’s government said it would make two temporary changes to reduce electricity costs.
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New regulations will limit the offer price of natural-gas generating units owned by large generators and require natural gas generating assets to be available during extreme weather and peak demand.
In January, frigid weather strained Alberta’s grid, causing the electric system operator to warn it may impose rolling outages. Consumers cut their electricity use and the grid avoided outages.
($1 = 1.3478 Canadian dollars)
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