Conservative critic favours renewables pause, saying agriculture industry would be at risk without a 'comprehensive' plan
The Conservative Party of Canada’s agriculture critic supports Alberta’s decision to pause approvals for new renewables projects. The federal Conservative Party's agriculture critic John Barlow has backed the Alberta government's decision to suspend approvals for new renewables projects, saying that without a “comprehensive framework” in place, large-scale wind and solar projects would threaten southern Alberta’s agriculture industry. The province has faced criticism from the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, industry players and Calgary Liberal MP George Chahal, while a recent poll suggested almost two-thirds of Albertans oppose the moratorium. Barlow said that the decision to pause approvals allows for “a comprehensive evaluation and framework development of project locations,” ensuring that “valuable agricultural lands remain productive while advancing clean energy goals.” He also wants to make sure the province has an “iron-clad” reclamation program in place. Premier Smith offers up contradictory versions for imposed wind and renewable energy projects, while Neudorf said better understanding of their growth on quality land was needed to reach a collaborative understanding.
Publicado : Hace 2 años por Stephen Tipper en Politics Environment
The federal Conservative Party’s agriculture critic backs the Alberta government’s decision to pause approvals for new renewables projects, saying that without a “comprehensive framework” in place, large-scale wind and solar projects would threaten southern Alberta’s agriculture industry. In August, Alberta announced a seven-month moratorium on new wind and solar project approvals from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC), with the pause lasting until Feb. 29, 2024.
The province has faced criticism over the decision, including from the Canadian Renewable Energy Association, industry players and Calgary Liberal MP George Chahal, while a recent poll suggested almost two-thirds of Albertans oppose the moratorium. But John Barlow, the MP for the southern Alberta riding of Foothills and the Conservative shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security, said in a statement that the province’s decision to pause approvals allows for “a comprehensive evaluation and framework development of project locations,” ensuring that “valuable agricultural lands remain productive while advancing clean energy goals.” Three quarters of Canada’s renewable energy projects have been developed in Alberta, Barlow said, and the “vast majority” of them have been in southern Alberta, including in his southwestern Alberta riding. “However, because of this growth, a significant portion of agricultural land in southern Alberta was being identified as sites for solar and wind development,” said Barlow. “This put our agriculture industry at risk and was simply not sustainable without a comprehensive framework in place.”
Agriculture plays a key part in Alberta’s economy, contributing $8.1 billion in GDP in 2021, and the province is also a “key partner in feeding the world,” he said. “It is critical that farmers, ranchers and agri-businesses have access to undisturbed, fertile farmland for their crops and livestock,” he said. “As such, it is essential to consider the potential impacts that these renewable projects will have on agricultural lands,” said Barlow. “Projects such as large-scale solar or wind farms require significant land use and can remove irreplaceable agriculture land from production. If not carefully planned, projects may disrupt prime agricultural areas leading to soil degradation and reduced crop yields jeopardizing the operations of our farmers and ranchers. “In conversation with Nathan Neudorf, Alberta minister of affordability and utilities, I am confident that the Alberta government will work collaboratively with key agriculture and energy players to put forward a strategic energy infrastructure plan which will ensure that there is minimal impact on agricultural lands while maintaining their ability to maximize energy generation within our province.”
• Alberta minister says 'Wild, Wild West' wave of development triggered pause on renewables
• Premier Smith offers up contradictory versions for imposed wind and solar pause While he and most Albertans support renewable energy projects, Barlow said Friday he has been alarmed at how much agricultural land was being earmarked for them. “I was really concerned with the growth of this without seemingly having a really good idea of what was potentially going to be lost in terms of agricultural land,” said Barlow, who told Postmedia this is his position and not the federal Conservative Party’s official stance. Barlow also wants to make sure the province has an “iron-clad” reclamation program in place. “My concern is that in 20, 25 years from now, these big companies will be long gone, and these farmers will be left with an absolute mess to clean up where these solar panels are no longer viable,” he said. “Is it even possible for this land to be returned to agriculture in 20 or 30 years from now? And that’s doubtful. And I was really fearful we’d see another cleanup disaster for Albertans, and just be stuck with the bill.”
In an interview with Postmedia, Neudorf said better understanding the effects of renewables and their growth on available, quality agriculture land was a “key” part of the moratorium, but time was needed to look at the issue to reach “a collaborative understanding of this precious resource” and to use agricultural land as well as the province can. Municipalities are key stakeholders in land and property development, and having some legal standing before the AUC should be considered, Neudorf said. “Now, we have to find the right balance,” he added. The province is working with key stakeholders to get an understanding of the best industry practices of decommissioning renewable energy projects, Neudorf said. “There are many renewables companies that are terrific actors and have worked independently to provide some sort of bonding for reclamation purposes,” he said. “And what we’re seeking to do on the government level is provide those best practices and guidelines across the board so that all players in that space are held to the same level of accountability.”
Neudorf admits that the pause was “sudden” and “inconvenient,” and that those companies with projects in the queue are concerned. A Pembina Institute report stated the renewables moratorium affects 118 projects worth $33 billion. “We’ve done a lot to mitigate (the projects in the queue) by saying you can still progress through the approvals process up until the point by not including the final approval, and we have been very solid on the end date and the findings that we’ll be doing along the way,” he said. “The more we talk to stakeholders, the more understanding, acceptance and agreement that we’re coming to that these are questions that every jurisdiction has to answer.” The pause is not an attack on renewable energy projects, but responsible government in action, said Neudorf. “They are a huge part of our energy mix and future,” he said of wind and solar projects. “This is about the responsibilities of managing a precious resource, which is our land, for multiple uses that we have to share between our First Nations, our first landowners, our farmers, and make sure they have what they need to continue to feed a huge portion of the world. And our new players in renewables — how do they access land, how do they fit into this space while still protecting beautiful view-scapes and our tourism industry? There’s a lot of players in a very finite field.”
Southern Alberta rural municipalities have concerns about renewable energy projects being placed on viable agricultural land. Maryanne Sandberg, reeve of the Municipal District (MD) of Willow Creek, said southern Alberta municipalities have been “eager” in pursuing a renewables pause due to municipal land-use rules being ignored by the AUC. “Our concern is really two-fold: loss of municipal power in land-use planning, but also the loss of good agricultural land to these projects when they could be put in other areas,” she said. The government needs to be ready to help out with reclamation costs, Sandberg said. “If the company goes bankrupt, and the farmer is left with those reclamation costs and that land comes up for forfeiture because of taxes, guess who’s on the hook for it? The MD.” Willow Creek is not objecting to these projects if they’re placed in appropriate areas, she said. “But right now we’re prime in southern Alberta because we’re the corridor for all of this,” said Sandberg. Alberta Senator Paula Simons, deputy chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry — which is preparing a soil-health study — said she plans to bring up concerns around soil health and solar farms after talking with farmers.
Simons said she’s going to push the committee to look at questions around soil pollution in the study’s second half, which begins in the coming weeks. The Edmonton-based senator added the group’s chair, Ontario Senator Rob Black, has been pushing for the committee to look at land-use planning issues. “We’re going to be looking at soil pollution, in terms of the pollution from conventional oil and gas, pollution from microplastics, pollution from certain hydrocarbons, but I’m also going to push for us, briefly, at the issue of solar farms,” said Simons, adding she’s met with farmers concerned about solar arrays being built on prime agriculture land. “It is a problem to put solar farms on prime agricultural land for all the same reasons that is a problem to put shopping malls on prime agricultural land or subdivisions on prime agricultural land.” Simons, who calls herself a “huge supporter” of solar and wind power, said it makes sense for Canada to avoid placing solar projects on the country’s best agricultural land, while respecting that landowners have the right to “do with their land what they please.” “Nobody is making a farmer put a solar farm on his or her land,” said Simons. “That’s their choice as private citizens and landowners. I would like to encourage people not to do that, but farming is a tough business, and I don’t think Albertans in general think governments should be banning people from using their land willy-nilly as they see fit, but obviously it makes the most sense to put solar farms on marginal farm land in Alberta.”
Temas: ESG, Renewables