Alberta creates 120‑day approvals window

Alberta’s government has introduced a bill that would give some major energy projects a 120-day approvals window once cabinet designates them for fast-tracking. (alberta.ca) Bill 30, the Expedited 120-Day Approvals Act, was introduced on April 14 by Energy and Minerals Minister Brian Jean. To qualify, a project must match provincial priorities, be strategically important, and involve at least 250 million Canadian dollars in capital spending. (cbc.ca) The bill would set up a project coordination review team inside Executive Council to assess applications and make recommendations to a committee of deputy ministers. Cabinet would then designate eligible projects by order-in-council, and that order would start the 120-day clock for regulators and later permits. (alberta.ca) Alberta says companies would need to complete, or substantially complete, environmental impact assessment work and Indigenous consultation before a project can enter the fast-track stream. Brian Jean said the bill does not change Alberta’s duty to consult, and he said regulators would still be able to deny permits. (cbc.ca) The change lands after months of federal-provincial talks about cutting duplicate reviews for large industrial projects in Alberta. Canada and Alberta signed a co-operation agreement last week that said the two governments would use a more flexible assessment process and build on a November 27, 2025 memorandum of understanding. (canada.ca) That broader push is aimed at speeding up pipelines, power, mining, and other infrastructure after years of complaints from industry about long timelines and overlapping rules. The federal government’s Major Projects Office now says it is working with provinces and Indigenous partners to move nation-building projects faster while keeping environmental responsibilities and Indigenous rights in view. (canada.ca) Alberta already has a single regulator for upstream oil, gas, oil sands, and coal projects. Under the Responsible Energy Development Act, the Alberta Energy Regulator handles applications under laws including the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act and the Water Act from filing through reclamation. (alberta.ca) Critics say the new deadline could compress review time without fixing the main causes of delay. Janetta McKenzie of the Pembina Institute told CBC that four months is an aggressive timeline and said provincial regulators are not usually the biggest source of delays, which can also come from policy uncertainty or court challenges. (cbc.ca) The province argues the bill is a competitiveness measure at a moment when it is trying to hold investment in Alberta and line up export infrastructure. If Bill 30 passes, the real test will start when cabinet chooses which projects get the 120-day clock and regulators have to meet it. (alberta.ca)