An Alberta government-commissioned report released last month suggested that oil and gas companies could avoid full reclamation of old well sites if they install solar panels on the land.
The report offers dozens of recommendations from the Alberta Energy Regulator board for the Premier. Critics point out that the report contrasts with the same government’s move to restrict renewable energy following the seven-month moratorium.
In an interview, Phillip Meintzer, spokesperson for the Coalition for Responsible Energy, said they justified the moratorium based on end-of-life cleanup for those sites.
David Yager, Alberta Energy Regulator board member and author of the report, said that these oil and gas sites could be “utilized for solar power generation instead of undergoing full reclamation, delivering both environmental and economic benefits.”
However, it’s unclear how much remediation a company could avoid by installing new renewables on leases instead of cleaning up the site.
What do you think?
Read the full article here –https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-solar-panels-oil-cleanup-costs/