Alberta to ban new wind farms in much of the province as renewables pause ends

The Albertan government outlined its plans following a report from the Alberta Utility Commission (AUC) as the six month pause on new renewables in the province came to an end. 

It said that the province would “take an ‘agriculture first’ approach” when evaluating the best use of agricultural lands proposed for renewables development. 

It added that as such the province would ban renewables development on ‘class 1’ and ‘class 2’ land deemed to have the most suitable soils for a range of crops typically grown in the state, unless the proponents could show that any proposed renewables development could coexist with farming in the area in question. 

Additionally the government announced buffer zones to preserve “viewscapes” that would exclude wind energy projects from large portions of the province. 

It said: “Buffer zones of a minimum of 35km will be established around protected areas and other “pristine viewscapes” as designated by the province. New wind projects will no longer be permitted within those buffer zones.” 

Alberta produces 82% of Canada’s oil, according to Reuters, but also leads the country on recent renewables additions. 

The province accounted for more than 90% of new renewable energy in Canada last year, according to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association (Canrea), which recently worked with the AUC on reviewing the future of renewable energy projects in Alberta. 

The trade body welcomed the end of the moratorium on new renewable energy projects in Alberta but said it “remains concerned about the considerable level of post-moratorium uncertainty that remains for new projects in the province”. 

The group’s president and CEO, Vittoria Bellissimo, added: “While the pause has lifted, there remains significant uncertainty and risk for investors wishing to participate in Canada’s hottest market for renewables. It is critical to get these policy changes right, and to do so quickly.” 

Canrea also urged the government to reconsider the policy of excluding new wind farm development in 35km buffer zones around “pristine viewscape” areas, which it described as “disappointing”. 

Alberta currently has 3.65GW of operating wind capacity, according to Windpower Intelligence, the research and data division of Windpower Monthly, around 900MW of which was connected last year.