INNISFAIL – Town council is “frustrated” with the Government of Alberta’s six-month pause on all Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) approvals of renewable projects as there are concerns it will seriously jeopardize the community's planned municipal solar farm in the new Southwest Industrial Park.
“I think the frustrating part is that it's a blanket moratorium. As opposed to looking at project specifics, it's putting a moratorium on everything,” said Town of Innisfail Mayor Jean Barclay. “We have a small parcel of land in the new industrial park that we’ve been looking at putting in a one and a half to two-megawatt solar project on and we're partway through that process and now is obviously stalled.”
Barclay estimated revenue from the six-acre municipal solar project will be about $500,000 a year, which she added is “significant for the community.”
The issue was brought up at town council’s regular meeting on Aug. 14 when Barclay said she would be writing letters of concern to Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Devin Dreeshen and Rebecca Schulz, the minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
“I would like that framed around where we are in that project; where we are at now, how much we expensed and of course the revenue loss we will experience because of this moratorium,” Barclay told members of council and administration.
The province announced earlier this month it was pausing approvals of new renewable electricity generation projects over one megawatt until Feb. 29, 2024, and reviewing policies as well as procedures for the development of renewable electricity generation.
The measure was taken by the Alberta government in response to the rapid growth and development of renewable electricity.
The province says that has created issues relating to land use, electricity system reliability and concerns from rural municipalities and landowners.
Nathan Neudorf, the provincial minister of Affordability and Utilities, said with the announcement the initiative will help provide future renewable investments with the certainty and clarity required for long-term development.
However, with Innisfail currently striving to be a progressive urban centre with a privately operated 96-acre 25.4 megawatt solar farm already built in the northwest section of the town, along with ambitions to create a second but smaller $3.5 million facility in the new industrial park, the mayor wondered why Innisfail should be part of the moratorium.
“Frankly, it doesn't make any sense. There's been several reasons given why it's in place but it seems to be around using prime agricultural land and I get that,” said Barclay. “But here we have a project that's going into an industrial park on a piece of land that cannot be developed.
“Why would that not be able to proceed?”
During the Aug. 14 council meeting, Meghan Jenkins, the town’s director of community services, presented a report that offered an overview of the provincial moratorium announcement and what it means for the town.
Jenkins noted in her report the application for the Southwest Industrial Park municipal farm was intended to be submitted later this year, with construction possible in mid to late 2024, pending council’s budget approval.
She said in her report the province’s “pause” will impact the potential timeline of this project, which she added. "does not seem related to the concerns the province is looking to explore."
Council was told the AUC is seeking stakeholder feedback by Aug. 18 on implementing the approval pause for types of applications for new renewable power projects.
Jenkins’ report advanced a recommendation to council to direct administration to submit feedback to the AUC about the town’s planned solar generation facility in the Southwest Industrial Park.
The motion was passed unanimously by council.
