FOOTHILLS COUNTY - At least two solar energy projects in Foothills County are facing uncertainty or delays due to Alberta’s pause on renewable energy approvals.
The projects in Foothills County are included in a report issued by the Pembina Institute, a think tank that supports renewable energy development, which identifies 118 renewable energy projects across the province that it says are waiting for approval or that could apply for approval in the next few months.
The report, Investment Impact of Alberta’s Renewable Energy Moratorium, was released following the announcement by the Province that approvals for renewable energy projects would be paused until Feb. 29, 2024.
The pause applies to wind, solar and geothermal energy projects.
Elemental Energy was expecting a decision from the Alberta Utility Commission (AUC) on its High River Solar Project later this year.
Located immediately north of High River on Highway 543, the 17-megawatt project is valued at $51 million and would generate around $340,000 per year in land leasing and tax revenue if completed, according to the Pembina Institute
In a statement, Elemental Energy said the pause initially caused the project's application to be suspended. However, the AUC said it will continue to process applications, up to the approval stage, for renewable energy projects.
This means the proceedings for Elemental Energy’s High River Solar Project have resumed, the company said.
Given the pause, it expects procurement and construction delays in 2024, if the project is approved, and the company said delays are something that all impacted developers are planning for.
“We are hopeful that the AUC inquiry will be initiated quickly, providing developers with direction on how the areas of interest identified by the Alberta government can be successfully resolved, which in our case can hopefully ensure an entire 2024 construction season is not missed,” the statement said.
Another project, Capital Power’s Aldersyde Solar Project, intends to file an application with the AUC by the end of the year, or early next year, a company spokesperson said.
Due to the pause, timelines for potential approval and construction are unknown.
According to Pembina, the Aldersyde Solar Project would generate 299 megawatts of electricity with an investment of $289 million and generate $2.8 million in annual leasing and tax revenue.
Other local projects listed in the Pembina Institute report are Enerfin Energy Company of Canada’s Big Rock Solar installation and Elemental Energy’s Foothills MPC Solar.
TC Energy’s Saddlebrook Solar and Storage project, under construction along Highway 2A north of High River, is not affected by the pause.
Foothills County had been lobbying for a pause on renewable energy projects, Reeve Delilah Miller said when it was announced.
“We’re certainly happy that the Province is putting a pause on this,” Miller said.
Main sticking points at the County are solar farms being built on productive agricultural land, the lack of a recycling program for solar panels and reclamation costs, she said.
The Province said that 13 projects are being slowed down due to the pause, and that the remaining projects identified in the Pembina report are months or years away from seeking project approval.
During the pause, the AUC will review regulations for the development of renewable electricity generation.
Issues around agricultural land, viewscapes and reclamation security will be looked at as part of the inquiry.
