Solar power not part of UCP’s ‘rights’ legislation

By Medicine Hat News on November 5, 2024.

@MedicineHatNews

A proposed expansion of property rights in Alberta will not include debate about whether land owners have the explicit right to put green energy systems on their homes or rural parcels.

Debate on amending the Alberta Bill of Rights on Wednesday in the legislature began with a proposed amendment from NDP house leader and justice critic Irfan Sabir, who argued the ability to use property could extend to using it to earn income from solar power production.

“The government should not be telling them … whether they can grow wheat or canola,” said Sabir. “Those landowners should be able to do whatever they see fit, including, if they choose to do so, having a solar energy system on their property and benefit from that, enjoy their property, be able to control what they can do with their property, be able to exclude government intervention on property rights.”

That was however, defeated after Utilities and Affordability Minister Nathan Neudorf claimed recent new policy that puts proposed green energy projects through an “ag-first” lens was reasonable.

“This is an affordability measure as well as a sustainability measure to make sure that land is available for food production in Alberta for generations to come,” said Neudorf, adding his belief that the bill’s promotion of property owners in cases of appropriation and compensation suffice.

“The government also has a responsibility to make sure that land has the greatest opportunity to be used for as many beneficial ways as possible throughout the future, particularly, in my opinion, if the growth of food is one of them.”

Sabir, on the other hand, told the legislature the government has long promised to support rural landowners in cases of surface-right agreements and municipal property taxes owed by oil companies, but instead made it harder for farm and ranch operators to seek alternative income from green energy leases.

“Why does the government think, since they advocate and kind of pretend to be the champion of property rights, that they can unilaterally go to rural Alberta and tell those farmers, tell those landowners, what they can do with their land?” said Sabir.

In 2023, the province halted approvals for wind and solar projects in order to develop new evaluation process for reclamation, agricultural productivity and the effect on “viewscapes.”

Since that moratorium was lifted, several projects have been approved, but others, including ones near Brooks and Westlock, have been denied for reasons of agricultural utility.

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