ottawa announces $160m for alberta solar power projects
the resulting emission reductions from the projects are expected to be around the equivalent of removing 61,000 gas-powered cars from roads each year, officials say
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construction workers near completion of the solar panels covering the parking lot at telus spark on march 14, 2022.
gavin young/postmedia
the federal government is earmarking $160 million for solar-power projects across alberta as part of ottawa’s push towards more clean technology infrastructure. it marks the latest alberta-centric announcement from the federal liberals, with several ministers spending time in the province this week during the calgary stampede.
speaking in drumheller tuesday morning, federal natural resources minister jonathan wilkinson said the $160-million envelope would fund nine projects which will generate a cumulative 163 megawatts of solar power, along with 48 mw of battery storage capacity.
those projects are slated to cut greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, a number officials say carries similar reductions to removing 61,000 gas-powered cars from roads each year.
“alberta’s immense potential for solar power generation, combined with the expertise of workers and the ambitious planning of indigenous and community partners, is helping to power a surge in clean energy development in the region,” natural resources canada said in a news release.
federal government believes 2035 net-zero goal ‘can be done’
the funding is going toward nine projects, largely in southern alberta.
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that includes $12.8 million for a 4.9-mw solar project in métis nation region 3 in the province’s southeast, a $12-million, 65-mw solar energy generation project in vulcan county and a $5.5-million bi-facial solar plant in cardston county that’s slated to generate 29.5 mw of power.
the announcement comes amid a continued disagreement between alberta’s united conservative government and the federal liberals about timelines for achieving a net-zero energy grid.
ottawa plans to make canada’s electricity grid net-zero by 2035, but premier danielle smith has maintained that’s not possible in alberta, with her government instead committing to reaching that target by 2050.
wilkinson says the federal government is willing to listen to alberta’s concerns, as shown by its agreement to form a bilateral working group with alberta on the topic.
“the federal government’s view is that it can be done,” wilkinson said, referring to the 2035 net-zero goal.
“but we also have to be willing to listen to the concerns of alberta and saskatchewan and try to find ways to address those concerns — and ideally, address those within the 2035 time frame.”
feds, province come together to provide $96 million for high-speed internet access in rural, remote alberta
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elsewhere tuesday, the two orders of government came together to fund high-speed broadband internet access to some southern alberta communities.
the combined federal and provincial funding totals $96 million, with high-speed internet access provided for more than 10,000 homes in 46 rural and remote alberta communities, including about 2,300 indigenous households.
alberta intends to brings high-speed internet to all communities by the end of the 2026–27 fiscal year, while the federal government wants the same for all canadians by 2030.
the alberta ndp opposition was critical of the province’s latest rural broadband announcement, saying it’s the 10th such media announcement on the topic since the ucp took office in 2019.
“we don’t need more plans to make more plans, we need real action to get broadband into homes and businesses in rural alberta,” said the ndp’s technology and innovation critic court ellingson in a release.
—with files from the canadian press
twitter: @jasonfherring
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