Alberta Minute: Data Center, Water Storage, and Photo Radar Enforcement

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• Alberta’s fall legislature session is now adjourned. During the session, 13 bills were passed. Key legislation included changes to the Alberta Bill of Rights, updates to access to information rules, and changes to pronoun use in schools. Other bills addressed child-care regulations, food safety, and the development of all-season resorts on Crown land. We’ll be sending out a summary of all the bills soon, to ensure you’re up to date!
  
  
• Under Alberta's new data center attraction strategy, Technology Minister Nate Glubish aims to see $100 billion in AI-focused infrastructure built within five years to attract tech giants like Meta, Google, and Amazon. The plan includes off-grid power options to avoid impacting Alberta's electricity grid. A "concierge program" has also been launched to expedite regulatory processes, with several companies already showing interest.
  
  
• The Alberta government is examining over 100 potential sites for water storage infrastructure, including dams and reservoirs, to address future water demands. The Water Storage Opportunities Study aims to enhance water supply, mitigate droughts and floods, and support growing communities across the province. The initiative is part of efforts to modernize the water management system and includes ongoing feasibility studies for the Ardley Reservoir and Eyremore Dam.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen announced significant changes to photo radar enforcement. The changes aim to eliminate 70% of current sites that the Province says prioritize revenue over safety. There will also be an end to photo radar ticketing on numbered provincial highways by April 2025. The government will continue allowing photo radar in school zones, playgrounds, and construction areas but will require evidence of high collision rates for other locations. While some, like the Rural Municipalities of Alberta, support the changes, others, including Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld, criticized the move.
  
  
• The Alberta government has introduced new regulations for wind and solar energy projects to address environmental concerns, food security, and landscape preservation. Wind developments are now prohibited in designated buffer zones, including much of the Rocky Mountain region. Additional areas, such as Cypress Hills Provincial Park and parts of southern Alberta, will require visual impact assessments before project approvals. Renewable energy projects are barred from top-grade agricultural land unless compatibility with farming can be demonstrated. Developers must also provide upfront reclamation costs through mandatory bonds or security deposits.
  
  
• Alberta has joined the National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases by signing a multi-million dollar agreement with the federal government. The deal, announced by Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange and federal Health Minister Mark Holland, focuses on improving access to rare disease treatments, diagnostics, and screening. Medications covered include Poteligeo for Sézary syndrome, Oxlumo for hyperoxaluria type 1, and Epkinly for large B-cell lymphoma. LaGrange emphasized the potential for life-changing impacts on Albertans living with rare diseases, while Holland highlighted the agreement as a step toward strengthening public health systems. Alberta follows British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador in adopting this initiative.

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