The federal government announced Friday it will invest nearly $29 million in cleantech projects across Canada, with three initiatives in the Prairie provinces set to benefit from the funding.
Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson made the announcement from Markham, Ontario, outlining support for 12 projects designed to accelerate clean energy technology development and strengthen Canada's electricity grid.
The investment comes through Natural Resources Canada's Energy Innovation Program, which supports research, development and demonstration projects. The funding breakdown includes $16.9 million for five carbon capture, utilization and storage projects, $9.2 million for three renewable energy initiatives, and $2.8 million for four smart grid regulatory innovation projects.
Prairie Projects Receive Significant Funding
Three Prairie-based projects will receive substantial support under the program. Carbon Alpha in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, will receive $10 million to test innovative approaches to seismic surveys for carbon capture and storage measurement.
Regina's Petroleum Technology Research Centre secured more than $4.9 million to analyze how carbon dioxide plumes move and transform within underground rock formations, research aimed at reducing risks associated with geological carbon storage projects.
Red Deer Polytechnic will receive just over $1.2 million to demonstrate how solar panels and agricultural crops can coexist on farmland, potentially addressing land-use concerns in renewable energy development.
Alberta's Renewable Energy Challenges
The funding announcement comes as Alberta's renewable energy sector continues to navigate regulatory challenges. The province implemented a moratorium on renewable energy projects in 2023, which officially ended in early 2024. However, ongoing land-use restrictions on agricultural land and buffer zone requirements around designated viewscapes have resulted in project cancellations, according to the Business Renewables Centre-Canada.
Despite these challenges, Alberta has historically been recognized as a leader in clean electricity generation across Canada.
"We are investing to provide reliable, affordable, and clean power across the country that will propel our economic growth, protect affordability for Canadian families, and make Canada a low-risk, low-cost, low-carbon energy superpower," Hodgson said in a statement.
The federal investment aims to scale up Canada's clean energy infrastructure while positioning the country as an attractive destination for low-carbon energy development investments.
This article is based on reporting from BetaKit.