The Alberta government’s ban on large wind and solar power projects is ending this week.
This ban has been in place for seven months after the government placed the ban while inquiring into the impact that these projects have on agricultural land and other concerns.
Despite the ban ending, the provincial government has spoken about introducing rules and regulations to the wind and solar sector in the future.
According to Pembina Institute, the pause on approving these new projects affected 118 projects that would have brought $33 billion of investment to the province.
However, Premier Danielle Smith said that Alberta should be prioritizing new power plants for hydroelectric, geothermal, natural gas, and nuclear power.
The solar industry is growing worldwide, with investments beginning to outpace natural gas and oil. In Alberta, 30 per cent of electricty in the province comes from solar and wind, with more than three-quarters of all Canadian solar and wind power being in Alberta.
