An Alberta environmental group opposes a solar power project over concerns it would damage antelope habitat and block their migration.
The project would provide 450 megawatts of carbon-free electricity to the provincial grid, but opponents fear its location would damage native grasslands and block herds of antelope as they migrate north from the U.S. Further north, near the town of High River, Benita Estes has been fighting a large biodigester project that would turn manure into enough natural gas to power 6,000 homes.
But Alberta needs to unpack more of the tools it already has to manage such conflicts, said Jason Wang of the clean energy think-tank the Pembina Institute. “Some of the objections to renewable energy can be traced back to groups trying to prevent renewable energy,” she said.