Select Renewable Energy Developments In Canada: What You Need To Know

Key Takeaways

• Alberta’s new solar panel recycling fee comes into effect on October 1, 2026.
• Developments in Atlantic Canada: Nova Scotia expands the Green Choice Program with a second round of procurement.
• Ontario moves ahead with second window of its Long-Term 2 energy procurement, including repowering.

September 2026 has seen significant announcements in the renewable energy space across the country. Alberta is set to introduce a new solar panel recycling program that has drawn industry criticism.¹ Nova Scotia is continuing its efforts to move away from relying on fossil fuels by launching a second competitive round of procurement for its Green Choice Program.² In New Brunswick, a 200-megawatt wind farm project has been proposed and is currently awaiting approval.³ Following the award of contracts under the first window of its second Long-Term (LT2) Request for Proposal (RFP), the Ontario Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is moving ahead with window 2 of the LT2 RFP, including opportunities for repowering existing renewable energy projects.⁴

Alberta’s recycling fee

Commencing October 1, 2026, Alberta will implement a new recycling regime for decommissioned solar panels.⁵ A ban on landfill disposal for the panels will take effect and it will cost $14 per panel to recycle. The province estimates that nearly 73,000 tons of material could be produced by 2045, as currently installed panels reach the end of their lives. The Government has stated that the fee is intended to protect municipalities and taxpayers from these future costs.

The statutory authority for the recycling fee is established under Alberta environmental legislation. The Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA) is a management board within the meaning of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.⁶ Under the Designated Material Recycling and Management Regulation, ARMA is empowered to make bylaws governing recycling fees for designated materials.⁷ The specific fee is set out in ARMA’s Electronics Renewables Recycling Bylaw,⁸ which requires all suppliers of solar panels to register with ARMA. For supplies occurring on or after October 1, 2026, the Bylaw imposes a surcharge of $14.00 per solar panel module, applicable to all types of solar panels, including crystalline silicon and thin film panels. The Bylaw also provides that an end user who imports solar panels into Alberta for the end user’s own use must pay the surcharge to ARMA.

The fee has attracted criticism from industry stakeholders, citing that it is higher than similar measures in other jurisdictions.⁹

Nova Scotia’s Green Choice Program

In 2023, Nova Scotia introduced the Green Choice Program as part of its Clean Power Plan to achieve the goal to phase out coal use and target 80% clean electricity in the province by the year 2030.¹⁰ The program helps large-scale electricity customers, such as public institutions and large industrial and commercial businesses, purchase clean electricity.¹¹ The program currently has 11 customers with a total electricity demand of about 1,100 GWh.¹²

The first round of procurement launched back in 2023 and secured 880 GWh of the targeted 1,500 GWh annual renewable electricity supply.¹³ This was achieved through independent power producers entering into 25-year agreements with Nova Scotia Power Inc. to purchase renewable electricity from two selected projects.¹⁴ Both projects have received the requisite environmental approvals and are set to reach commercial operation by the end of 2028.

Second round of procurement

On September 10, 2026, the province announced a second round of procurement as it is seeking an additional 1,200 GWh of annual renewable electricity.¹⁵ Although proponent registration closed on September 17, 2026, the deadline for proposal submissions is January 14, 2027.¹⁶ Project selection is expected to occur in May 2027.¹⁷ The deadline to submit any questions or comments to the Green Choice Program is October 8, 2026.¹⁸

Procurement requirements

Interested proponents should note the following requirements set out in the procurement documents.¹⁹

• Proponent: Proponents must be a single legal entity (not an unincorporated joint venture), qualify as a supplier, hold a controlling interest in the project, and register with Nova Scotia’s Registry of Joint Stock Companies.
• Team experience: At least two team members must have managerial experience across planning, developing, financing, constructing, and operating a qualifying renewable facility (combined experience acceptable).
• Project requirements: Selected proponents will invest in development, construction, ownership, operation and maintenance. The project must
  • be a new build or expansion using onshore wind located in Nova Scotia
  • have a nameplate capacity between 2 MW and 150 MW
  • not have an existing PPA
  • not be located on any provincial Crown land or protected land
• Commercial operation date: The commercial operation date of the project must be on or before December 31, 2030. Proponents must provide a detailed timeline with milestones, likelihood of completion and risk mitigation measures. Projects operational before December 31, 2029, may qualify for an early completion incentive.
• Approvals and permits: Proposals must include a practical path to required approvals with evidence of preliminary discussions with provincial departments (due by December 31, 2026). Selection does not guarantee permits or preferential treatment.
• Community engagement: Engagement with diverse stakeholders (government, Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, local residents/businesses, environmental organizations) is required. Proponents must provide community notice within 20 business days of RFP effective date and publicly post project information within 30 days.
• Financing plan: Proponents must demonstrate financial capacity, including total project cost, annual operating expenses, capital structure, applicable tariffs and any government funding.
• Environmental risks: Proponents must confirm compliance with human health criteria (shadow flicker, turbine noise) and provide either a completed environmental risk questionnaire or EA approval documentation.

Submission requirements

Each proposal must be for a single project with a primary configuration (one alternative configuration with smaller capacity permitted).²⁰ Proponents must submit the following electronically: proponent information/declarations/workbook; proposal workbook; access rights and project site; engagement; financing; environmental risks; and social and economic benefits.

• Proposal security: Proponents must submit hard copies of proposal security (an irrevocable letter of credit from a qualifying financial institution in the amount of $35,000 per MW of nameplate capacity).²¹ The proposal becomes irrevocable after the submission deadline.

Stakeholder engagement for window 2 of the Ontario IESO’s LT2 RFP underway

The Ontario IESO has commenced public stakeholder engagement on the draft RFP and form of contract for long-term energy supply projects under its LT2 RFP procurement, one of a series of cadenced procurements for energy and capacity resources under the IESO’s Resource Adequacy Framework.²²  The first round of the IESO’s LT2 energy procurement resulted in the award of 13 contracts to wind and solar projects of varying sizes in May 2026, representing over 1.15GW of generating capacity and an expected annual production of over 2.3GWh. The first round of the LT2 RFP represented the first procurement of utility-scale renewable energy projects in Ontario in over a decade.

While the second window of the LT2 RFP is expected to be based largely on the documentary foundations of the first window of the LT2 RFP, window 2 notably introduces opportunities for “repowered” energy generation facilities. As one of the earliest and most active jurisdictions in Canada for the procurement and development of wind and solar resources, Ontario is now home to a significant number of nearly 20-year-old renewable energy projects that may be eligible to compete for new long-term offtake contracts with the IESO. Initial drafts of the RFP and contract for the LT2(e-2) RFP have been published by the IESO and the IESO has indicated that the procurement is intended to be formally launched in late 2026.

Footnotes

^{1. Global News, “Alberta introduces $14 solar panel recycling fee, landfill ban” (Global News Article).}

^{2. Government of Nova Scotia, “Second Call for Affordable Clean Energy Through Green Choice Program” (Second call).}

^{3. CBC News, “200-megawatt wind farm proposed for northern N.B.” (Wind farm proposed for northern New Brunswick).}

^{4. Ontario IESO, Second Long-Term (LT2) Request For Proposals.}

^{5. Alberta Recycling Management Authority, “Stewardship Recycling Program: Renewables Recycling”.}

^{6. Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. E-12, at s. 175(jj).}

^{7. Designated Material Recycling and Management Regulation, Alta. Reg. 93/2004, at s. 12.}

^{8. Alberta Recycling Management Authority, Electronics Renewables Recycling Bylaw [PDF] (September 14, 2026).}

^{9. Global News article.}

^{10. Government of Nova Scotia, “Clean power plan”.}

^{11. Government of Nova Scotia, “Green Choice Program” (Green Choice Program).}

^{12. Green Choice Program at “About the Program”.}

^{13. Nova Scotia Green Choice Procurement Program, “About”.}

^{14. Green Choice Program at “New wind farms”.}

^{15. Second call.}

^{16. Nova Scotia Green Choice Program Procurement, “Green Choice Program Procurement Timeline” (Procurement Timeline).}

^{17. Procurement Timeline.}

^{18. Procurement Timeline.}

^{19. Green Choice Program Procurement – Request for Proposals II (Request for Proposals II) at s. 2.}

^{20. Request for Proposals II at s. 3.9(a).}

^{21. Request for Proposals II at s. 3.9(d)(i)–(ii).}

^{22. IESO, Resource Adequacy Engagement.}