New Alberta Bills Will Impact Coalbed Methane and Carbon Capture and Storage

The Alberta Government has recently introduced two pieces of legislation impacting the energy sector, in particular, large‐scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects and the development of coalbed methane.

On November 1, 2010, Bill 24, The Carbon Capture and Storage Statutes Amendment Act, 2010, was introduced in the Alberta Legislature. The Bill is intended to guide large‐scale CCS projects and to clarify the ownership of the pore space where carbon dioxide will be stored. Alberta is the first province in Canada to introduce legislation for this greenhouse gas reduction technology. The Bill proposes amendments or additions to the following statutes:

• Energy Resources Conservation Act;