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RNNR Committee Meeting

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Minutes of Proceedings

Standing Committee on Natural Resources (RNNR)
44th Parliament, 1st Session
Meeting 108
Monday, October 7, 2024, 11:04 a.m. to 1:06 p.m.
Presiding
George Chahal, Chair (Liberal)

Expand AllCollapse All
• Parm Bains for Majid Jowhari (Liberal)
• Greg McLean for Shannon Stubbs (Conservative)
• Tony Van Bynen for Yvonne Jones (Liberal)
Library of Parliament
• Aimée Belmore, Analyst
• Sarah Houle, Analyst
Canada’s Electricity Grid and Network
As an individual
• Christina Hoicka, Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair in Urban Planning for Climate Change, University of Victoria
Canadian Climate Institute
• Jason Dion, Senior Research Director
Macdonald-Laurier Institute
• Heather Exner-Pirot, Director, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment
The Pembina Institute
• Scott MacDougall, Program Director, Electricity
The Transition Accelerator
• Moe Kabbara, Vice President
Pursuant to Standing Order 108(2) and the motion adopted by the committee on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, the committee resumed its study of Canada’s electricity grid and network.

The witnesses made statements and answered questions.

Motion

Julie Dabrusin moved, —

Given that:

•  There are 1,600 abandoned and orphaned oil wells in Alberta polluting farmland, waterways, and air;

•  The number of abandoned wells in Alberta are set to increase by an additional 1,800 to 2,000;

•  These additional abandoned wells will cost more than $200 million to clean up;

•  The Government of Alberta sent back $137 million because they failed to use the funds provided by the Government of Canada to clean up abandoned wells and create jobs in the pandemic;

•  The Government of Saskatchewan used their allocated funds in their entirety to clean abandoned wells and create jobs;

•  Companies who abandon wells and fail to pay for their cleanup negatively impact provincial taxpayers and municipalities;

•  Orphaned and abandoned wells present an economic opportunity to support energy solutions like geothermal energy.

The Standing Committee on Natural Resources begin a five-meeting study on the impact of this failure to clean these wells in Alberta, the impacts of the pollution from not cleaning up abandoned and orphaned wells, the costs of cleaning up abandoned and orphaned wells, the regulations to hold companies to account for well cleanup, and the potential opportunities associated with cleaning up abandoned wells, and report its findings to the House of Commons.

Debate arose thereon.

At 1:06 p.m., the committee adjourned to the call of the Chair.



Thomas Bigelow
Clerk of the committee