The Alberta Utilities Commission has issued a draft blackline version of Rule 007: Facility Applications and have invited written feedback from interested parties.
Following the AUC’s 2024 consultation on Rule 007, to which RMA made a written submission, the AUC has issued a draft blackline version of Rule 007: Facility Applications. The draft blackline describes the major issues considered and the rationale for the amendments proposed to the Rule. The interim information requirements announced in 2023 and modified in 2024 will continue to apply until the final version of Rule 007 is released.
For RMA members, Rule 007 addresses how municipalities are considered in the decision-making process for the AUC, including their role in hearings. In addition to our written submission on Rule 007 last year, RMA previously made recommendations regarding municipalities’ participation in quasi-judicial agency hearings in our 2023 Quasi-Judicial Agencies Member Committee Report.
At a high level, RMA’s August 2024 submission to last year’s Rule 007 consultation included the following recommendations:
- Support for the creation of a municipal engagement form, to be completed by the proponent, with modifications that provide increased clarity on how projects’ alignment with municipalities’ statutory plans and land-use bylaws, as well as more specificity regarding what “municipal consultation” entails
- Support for Visual Impact Assessments (VIAs) that include socio-economic considerations being used as a regulatory tool rather than blanket-banning development and clarity on VIA’s consideration within the overall approval process
- Support for minimum setbacks for renewable energy facilities with allowances for municipalities to determine their own setbacks through municipal planning documents
The blackline version of Rule 007 also includes new sections related to agricultural land impacts and reclamation requirements in alignment with the new Electric Energy Land Use and Visual Assessment Regulation.
The blackline will be available for written feedback until May 23, 2025. Interested parties may submit their written feedback on the draft blackline by emailing engage@auc.ab.ca using the subject line “007 rule feedback”. All written feedback submissions will be made publicly available on the AUC’s Rule 007 Engage page.
RMA plans to undertake an analysis of the proposed changes to Rule 007 and will share more details or analysis with members as it becomes available.
Joseph Kay
Policy Advisor
780.554.4161
joseph@rmalberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com