Alberta to ban renewables on 'prime' land and preserve 'pristine viewscapes'

Source: The Guardian

Alberta to ban renewables on ‘prime’ land and preserve ‘pristine viewscapes’

Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Wed 28 Feb 2024 21.09 GMT
Last modified on Wed 28 Feb 2024 21.34 GMT

Alberta will block renewable energy projects on “prime” agricultural land and limit the placement of wind turbines to preserve “pristine viewscapes”, a decision that increasingly pits the western Canadian province against environmental groups pushing green energy – and the companies investing in it.

The decision, announced by the premier, Danielle Smith, and utilities minister, Nathan Neudorf, on Wednesday, follows a controversial six-month ban on new renewable energy projects that is due to expire on 29 February.

Alberta’s moratorium, announced in August, left energy companies uncertain about billions in future investment, even as the region, with its clear skies and an abundance of wind, led the country in new renewable projects.

Nearly a third of Alberta’s grid is now powered by renewables and the province has shifted away from coal at a far faster rate than expected.

But Smith has pushed back against federal rules that aim to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions of provincial power grids.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/28/alberta-energy-renewables