News

MEDIA RELEASE

CALGARY – Alberta's new $14 per-panel recycling fee, set to take effect October 1, is being billed as an environmental measure. In practice, it lands as the latest in a string of arbitrary costs the province has placed on the renewable energy industry without the analysis to back it up.

While governments worldwide are beginning to establish end-of-life recycling programs for clean energy infrastructure, Alberta’s proposed fee is at least 139% and up to 3500% higher than any other jurisdiction in the world.

It is a familiar pattern. BRC-Canada's own analysis of Alberta's reclamation security requirements in June 2025 found the same thing: costs higher than those of any other jurisdiction we reviewed, imposed without benchmarking to justify them. 

“We're disappointed to see the government saddle the industry with another disproportionate burden,” said Jorden Dye, Director of BRC-Canada. “While BRC supports the introduction of a recycling fee, we cannot support a punitive tax far exceeding any other jurisdiction.”

“This is the same story we saw with renewable energy reclamation costs: Alberta setting a price without accounting for salvage value or learning from comparative jurisdictions. BRC-Canada supports recycling programs and land reclamation as part of a strong, responsible renewable energy sector in this province. However, this approach adds costs and red tape to an industry that has helped diversify Alberta’s economy and lower electricity prices for Albertans."

Most of Alberta's utility-scale and rooftop solar capacity has been built in the last decade, and with panel lifespans of 25 to 35 years, the bulk of this equipment will not need to be recycled until the 2040s. No near-term waste stream justifies the urgency, and the Alberta Recycling Management Authority has not published a breakdown explaining how the $14 figure was calculated.

Alberta was once the country's leading renewable energy investment market. Costs like this one, introduced without evidence or comparison to other jurisdictions, are part of why that lead keeps shrinking.

Quick facts

• BRC-Canada’s analysis shows this single fee will quietly add roughly $1 million in upfront costs to an average solar project in the province. 
• From January 2019 to March 31, 2025, 3.73 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy have been purchased Canada-wide (though largely in Alberta) through power purchase agreements (PPAs), enabling a total of 4.77 GW of project capacity. This equates to 14,700 gigawatt-hours per year of energy provided, leading to: 
  • the creation of 7,000 jobs,
  • $7.5 billion in capital investment, and
  • the production of enough energy to power 1.9 million homes.
• In addition, $70 million in municipal tax revenues was provided to Alberta communities in 2025 from wind and solar projects operating in their municipalities.

-30-

Report: 2025 Renewables in Review
Report: Reclamation Security Comparative Analysis: How Alberta Compares
Statistics: See our Deal Tracker web page for quarterly updates on community benefits