Latest news with #AlbertaEnergy
CBC
10-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
Renewable cleanup rules making Alberta less competitive for investment: report
A report says new cleanup rules for renewable energy sites are hurting the competitiveness of Alberta's industry. Business Renewables Centre-Canada analyzed the reclamation security requirements for renewables in 27 jurisdictions and found Alberta's are now the most costly. Under a code of practice for solar and wind projects published last week, the Alberta government says operators must provide an estimate for the cost of dismantling turbines and panels, removing underground concrete infrastructure, hauling waste away, replanting vegetation and other items. A 30-per-cent security is required upfront, rising to 60 per cent after 15 years to ensure there is enough money for proper cleanup at the sites' end of life. BRC-Canada says Alberta's upfront security requirement is unusually high and the rules don't take into account the salvage value of the concrete and metals that could be sold to recoup cleanup expenses. The Alberta government issued the new rules in February 2024, just as a seven-month moratorium on new renewable project approvals expired, but it had yet to lay out the details around how they'd be implemented. Disappointing to see Alberta lose out Jorden Dye, BRC-Canada's director, said many renewable projects are being built by multinational companies that can move their capital around easily. "And it'll just be really disappointing if we see Alberta lose out and lose our ground as the biggest developer of renewable energy in the last few years in Canada because we've continued to place onerous rules on the industry," he said. In addition to the reclamation security requirements, the province has placed buffer zones around wind turbines so as not to impede "pristine viewpoints" and is taking an "agriculture first" approach to deciding what can be built on farmland. The province is also working through consultations on the structure of its energy market as well as transmission regulations. "If you take one by itself, it's OK — we might be able to live with it, or we can work around it," said Dye. "It's kind of getting to the totality of the decisions that's really driving some of the concerns." The BRC-Canada study noted some jurisdictions — such Illinois and Tennessee — require a 100-per-cent reclamation security, but only 10 per cent of that must be paid upfront. "Renewable energy projects are really sensitive to the upfront capital cost," Dye said. "Having that as an operating annual cost is a lot different to whether a project will go forward than if it's an upfront cost." Three-quarters of the jurisdictions the group compared accounted for the salvage value of materials once projects are dismantled. While that amount may not reflect the real-world value of the metal and concrete decades into the future, it does go a long way toward offsetting the reclamation costs, Dye said. Data collection a bonus Dye said wind and solar projects generally have a lifespan of 20 to 50 years, but components are often refurbished along the way. And when they're done operating, there is decades' worth of real-world data to make pursuing another development easier. While an oil or gas well will eventually become depleted, "the sun and the wind will still be there in those exact spots," Dye said. The cost of cleaning up old oil and gas wells has been a major issue in the oil and gas sector. The Alberta Energy Regulator estimates that as of June 2024, there were $36 billion in environmental liabilities. In announcing the renewables policy in February 2024, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said the province was looking for a different and better way to approach solar and wind cleanup than what had been done for oil and gas. "It is critical that we do not repeat errors of the past, and that we have reclamation rules and costs accounted for at the beginning of any development," she said. The reclamation bond or security can be paid to the Alberta government, or be negotiated between the renewable developer and a landowner. Unlike 'generous and flexible' oil and gas rules Janetta McKenzie, oil and gas program director at the Pembina Institute think-tank, said the rules for wind and solar are fundamentally different than "generous and flexible" ones for oil and gas. In that sector, companies are required to pay about one per cent of cleanup costs in upfront securities, with no firm timelines, she said. The industry-funded Orphan Well Association looks after closure costs when an energy company has gone bankrupt or otherwise cannot meet its obligations. But that organization "is also buttressed by some interest-free loans from the provincial and federal government and is pretty persistently underfunded," McKenzie said. "This is a province that wants to unleash its energy sector, but there is an energy sector that's waiting for a stable regulatory environment and then one that is being given a lot of options to not reclaim and not clean up itself in a timely manner."
CTV News
31-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Man killed in crash that caused oil spill northeast of Edmonton
An RCMP epaulette is seen in Edmonton, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson A man was killed in a crash that caused an oil spill on Friday afternoon. RCMP said the oil tanker crashed and rolled over on Range Road 485 in the Municipal District of Bonnyville at around 2:41 p.m. Responding officers found the tanker on its roof in a small creek. The 66-year-old driver was dead. No other vehicles were involved. The crash caused an oil leak and closed the road for a few hours. An Alberta dangerous goods inspector was called in, and Alberta Energy representatives are overseeing the oil cleanup. No other details about the crash have been released. Bonnyville is about 120 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
CTV News
30-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Danielle Smith hosts annual premier's dinner in Calgary
Danielle Smith spoke to supporters at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary on May 30, 2025. Nearly 2,000 supporters attended Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's annual United Conservative Party fundraising dinner at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary on Thursday. The sold-out event provided Smith with an opportunity to share her thoughts about Alberta's energy sector – including strategies about how best to get the province's natural resources to market. She also said Alberta's fight with Ottawa is not over. 'As most Albertans already know, I have repeatedly stated that I support a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada and I personally have such high hopes that there is a path forward for that with Ottawa,' she said. 'I am going to do everything in my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new prime minister.' Also during her speech, Smith called out the federal government for not backing down on its zero emission caps or Bill C-69.
CBC
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Alberta policies have dampened investor confidence in renewables: report
Social Sharing A report from clean energy think tank Pembina Institute suggests investor confidence in Alberta's renewables sector has been dampened by provincial policy moves. The report's authors looked at the provincial electrical system operator's queue of projects waiting to connect to the grid between 2021 and 2024. That data gave them a sense of investor interest in Alberta renewables before and after the province imposed a surprise seven-month moratorium on new wind and solar projects in 2023. The moratorium is over, but the institute says other sources of uncertainty include a broad restructuring of the electricity market, Alberta's legal challenge to federal clean electricity regulations, limits on where wind installations can be built and new reclamation requirements. Pembina says the number of proposed new projects in the queue last year were on par with two years earlier, before the moratorium, but more projects were cancelled than proposed last year while other jurisdictions like Australia and Texas are seeing their numbers of new projects climb. A spokesperson for Alberta Energy Minister Brian Jean says the province set a "clear, responsible path forward" for renewables and that electricity has become more affordable and reliable over the past year.
Epoch Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Energy Minister Commits to ‘Clean Slate' in Ottawa-Alberta Relations
Newly minted Liberal Energy Minister Tim Hodgson says he supports Alberta's energy sector, adding that he aims to reset strained ties with Ottawa and fast-track infrastructure projects to help make Canada 'a conventional and clean energy superpower.' Hodgson made the comments during an 'One of my first calls as minister was to [Alberta Energy] Minister Brian Jean. This relationship matters, and I am committed to a clean slate,' Hodgson 'I may live in Toronto right now, but I was born on the Prairies. I want you to understand that I will be a voice for Alberta and Western Canada at the Cabinet table.' Born in Winnipeg, Hodgson served in the Canadian Armed Forces before joining investment bank Goldman Sachs, where he held several roles, including CEO of its Canadian operations. 'At Goldman, one of my first major deals is also one of the deals I am still the proudest of today: The Alliance Pipeline,' he said during his address, referring to the pipeline that transports natural gas from western Canada to the United States. Related Stories 3/25/2025 3/13/2025 Hodgson also served on the board of MEG Energy, a Canadian oil sands producer based in Calgary. He was recently the board chair of Hydro One, Ontario's public electricity provider. He also worked as a special adviser to now-Prime Minister Mark Carney when Carney was governor of the Bank of Canada. In his speech, Hodgson said collaboration between provinces, territories, and the federal government is important for advancing nation-building projects. 'This government isn't just about people in suits in Toronto or Ottawa. It's about people in hard hats, on the drilling pads, in the forests, and at the mills,' Hodgson said. 'From Peace River to Lethbridge, from engineers to rig workers—that work powers our country, and it earns our respect.' Alberta's energy minister said he was 'encouraged' by Hodgson's comments, adding that, given Hodgson's previous experience in the oil sands sector, 'he should understand the challenges we face and the importance of getting our oil and gas products to tidewater.' 'It is critical the federal government follows through on these promises and prioritizes the construction of pipelines and energy infrastructure while repealing job and investment-killing legislation and policies like the 'Build-No-Pipelines Act' and the emissions cap,' Jean said in a May 23 statement to The Epoch Times. Alberta has long Hodgson's comments also come at a time when the issues of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has Fast-Tracking Infrastructure Projects During his address, Hodgson said the new federal government would be defined not by 'talk' but by action. 'I want to be very clear: in the new economy we are building, Canada will no longer be defined by delay,' he said. 'We will be defined by delivery.' He said the new government will reduce review times for projects of national interest by more than half by establishing a 'Major Federal Projects Office' to serve as a single window for permits and cut red tape, in line with Carney's commitment to a 'One Project, One Review' policy. Hodgson said Canada's energy is a 'tool for global stability and transformation,' adding that Canada needs to diversify its economy in the face of U.S. tariffs. He added that Canadian exports can help 'our allies break dependence on authoritarian regimes,' referring to oil-producing nations with authoritarian governments like Venezuela and Iran. 'We need infrastructure that gets our energy to tidewater and to trusted allies,' he said. 'We will invest in carbon capture, methane reduction, and other technologies to ensure Canadian oil and gas is not only produced responsibly, but is the most competitive in the world.' He also said that turning Canada into an energy superpower would require reframing the national conversation, which he says will involve building consensus for projects while 'meeting our duty to consult so indigenous peoples are true partners, and protecting our environment so we don't have to clean up mistakes later.' 'I'm a pragmatist, a businessman,' Hodgson said. 'When I see something that needs changing, I work hard to change it.'
