To improve reporting on resolution advocacy, the RMA is releasing a monthly bulletin highlighting recent actions undertaken on select active resolutions.
The Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin is a way of routinely highlighting a selection of the over 70 currently active resolutions, offering members a more detailed insight into the work being carried out on their behalf. For the latest formal statuses and reactions to all resolutions, view the RMA’s Resolutions Database.
The March 2025 edition of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin features the following resolutions:
Resolution 3-24F: Collection of Unpaid Municipal Property Taxes by Way of Royalties
Unpaid oil and gas taxes have been at the forefront of RMA’s advocacy for several years. In resolution 3-24S, members called upon the RMA to advocate that the Government of Alberta (GOA) should require oil and gas developers and operators to pay municipal property taxes as a prerequisite to being granted or to retain their right to develop oil and gas, but also called upon the RMA to advocate for the GOA to collect and distribute unpaid oil and gas municipal property taxes through the collection of royalty revenue.
The Government’s response in fall 2024 focused on the steps the GOA had taken to date, including Ministerial Order 043/2023 requiring payment of municipal taxes as a condition for approving new well licenses and well license transfers which was replaced by Ministerial Order 096/2024 permitting the transfer of productive assets held by operators with tax arrears to operators without tax arrears. The royalty approach called for in resolution 3-24S was not addressed; this was due to insolvent companies not operating their assets, not generating production subject to royalties, and thus, no royalties going towards tax payments.
However, in response to RMA’s ongoing advocacy of this topic and the release of RMA’s 2025 Unpaid Tax Survey results ahead of the recent Spring 2025 Convention, the GOA and RMA are collaborating on a new approach to address the issue of unpaid oil and gas taxes. As this was officially announced recently, more information will become available in the coming weeks.
Resolution 18-24F: Renewable Electricity and Grid Stability
Given that Alberta’s electricity grid increasingly relies upon renewable energy, resolution 18-24F advocates for more grid stability by mandating that renewable energy developments have a minimum amount of on-demand electricity for use by the province’s electrical grid. The resolution also highlights that renewable energy has brought challenges related to land use, urban/rural project siting, agricultural land preservation, infrastructure strain and concerns around reclamation and possible environmental impacts. Most notably, resolution 18-24F emphasizes that public interest is not carried out meaningfully or properly to ensure reliable electricity supply of the province’s power grid in regard to renewable energy.
The response received from the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) did not specifically address most of the issues and requests highlighted in resolution 18-24F. Although existing regulations were referenced in the government response, they do not closely apply to renewable energy, which is the area of concern highlighted in resolution 18-24F in relation to electrical grid stability. Furthermore, the response does not reference a requirement that new renewable energy projects produce a minimum amount of on-demand electricity. The response references two regulations: the Market Power Mitigation Regulation excludes renewable energy while the Supply Cushion Regulation does not reference renewable energy at all.
The AUC response references the Alberta Electric System Operator’s (AESO) redesign of a Restructured Energy Market (REM) that will include the implementation of a mandatory Day-Ahead Market (DAM). RMA will continue to monitor the outcomes of these changes to assess whether they improve renewable electricity grid reliability, mandate a minimum on-demand amount of electricity supply and promote true public interest and engagement with rural Alberta municipalities.
Resolution 17-23S: Negative Impact of Bill C-21 on Albertans
Federal Bill C-21 restricts some firearms. Rural municipalities endorsed resolution 17-23S at the Spring 2023 Convention, noting that Bill C-21’s restrictions and existing firearm control and licensing requirements were sufficient for firearm safety. Furthermore, the resolution noted that these new measures would adversely affect the quality of life of rural residents by limiting their access to firearms for hunting and recreational shooting activities. RMA members called for the federal government to not proceed with restricting firearms access and to review restricted classes to ensure rural Alberta firearms recreation was not impacted.
RMA sent resolution 17-23S to Justice Canada and has not yet received a response. Bill C-21 was passed into force on December 15, 2023. RMA continues to advocate for changes specific to the definition of “prohibited firearm.”
Stay tuned for future editions of the Monthly Resolution Update Bulletin, where we will continue to feature updates on selected resolutions.
Warren Noga
Manager of Policy and Research
825.319.2285
warren@rmalberta.com