EDMONTON — The Government of Alberta introduced legislation on Tuesday to establish a 120-day maximum timeline for Alberta regulatory bodies to review and grant permits for select major projects, as the UCP claims there are "a number" of critical projects on the horizon. "We simply can't afford to spend years waiting for major project approvals, even when requirements have been met," said Minister of Energy and Minerals Brian Jean. "Every delay impacts jobs, investment and prosperity for Canadians, for Albertans, for decades to come."Bill 30, the 120-Day Expedited Approvals Act, includes the 120-day timeline and dictates the guidelines for which projects will qualify for the accelerated timeline announced by the UCP on March 23. This move is part of the UCP's efforts to double energy production by 2035. The time-frame will apply to the full review process to Alberta's regulatory bodies, including the Alberta Energy Regulator, for project and subsequent permit approvals. "The world needs Alberta oil and gas now more than ever," Jean said. "Taking action to accelerate the approval process is critical for Alberta to unleash its energy potential and ensure a sustainable sector for decades to come.”.Qualifications for the accelerated approval timeline include energy, mining, and industrial projects that align with Alberta's priorities, are of strategic importance to Alberta's economy, and have a minimum investment of $250 million. Tuesday's legislation includes the creation of a Project Coordination Review Team, which will review applications and work with proponents to ensure they meet the requirements for expedited review. The PCRT will then make recommendations before advancing it to a committee of the Deputy Minister, who will send it to the UCP cabinet, which will issue an order for the expedited review. Regulations and administrative processes for the PCRT have not been established, but the UCP intend to develop them "over the summer," with the goal of implementing the expedited review timeline towards the end of 2026 or early in 2027. Proponents will not be required to have completed the environmental impact assessment process and Indigenous consultation before submitting their application and advancing past the PCRT; however, they must be able to demonstrate that both have advanced to "an appropriate stage." .Alberta's government believe delays and duplications in project approval processes, along with self-inflicted federal barriers, have cost Canadian companies an estimated $12 billion in energy investments in 2025 and driven them to the US."We have just come through, truly, a lost decade for investment because of overregulation from a federal government that was hell-bent on killing our industry," Jean said. "We are changing this, and they are changing.""This government is committed to increasing access to markets, attracting investment and working with our federal, provincial and territory counterparts right throughout this great country."Bill 30, combined with other Alberta-Ottawa agreements in recent months, aims to remove many of those delays both within Alberta and across into other provinces.Though the accelerated timeline will apply only to projects in Alberta, Jean hopes to see the federal government follow suit for interprovincial projects. "We think two years is too long," Jean said. "We think 120 days is adequate. The regulator has told us that they can come back with that timeline being met." The UCP claim that instituting the expedited timeline will provide proponents with certainty, break the bottleneck in granting project approval and permits, and ensure Alberta remains competitive with other jurisdictions.
