Alberta Pauses Approvals Of Some New Renewable Electricity Projects

The province of Alberta, Canada’s main producer of fossil fuels, on Thursday paused approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt until Feb. 29, 2024.

Citing concerns about the rapid pace of development, the provincial government also said it would launch an inquiry to review policies and procedures for renewable electricity generation. The move is sure to increase tensions with the Liberal federal government.

Ottawa wants to cut national carbon emissions by 40-45% by 2030, but will only be able to achieve its climate plan with significant reductions from Alberta. Provincial premier Danielle Smith says this would cripple its economy.

Alberta said the pause was in part responding to concerns from municipalities and landowners about responsible land use and the rapid pace of renewables development.

It also noted what it called reliability concerns due to a rapid shift away from coal and the increase of renewables.