Alberta is proposing rule changes that would see Premier Danielle Smith’s government become more involved in kick-starting potential big-ticket industrial projects.
A bill introduced Tuesday by Energy Minister Brian Jean would set out a new project review process, with a group of cabinet members being the first to set eyes on proposals. The goal is to assist private industry in bolstering its applications.
From there, a committee of civil servants would get involved for additional reviews. Cabinet would then give an order to start a four-month clock for regulatory bodies to do their own assessments and issue permits.
Speeding up approvals
Jean said slow regulatory schemes risk investment and that a fast-tracked process would send a clear message — the province is keen to build.
“The process to approve projects in Alberta and Canada, quite frankly, is very cumbersome and riddled with roadblocks and unnecessary delays,” Jean told reporters before introducing the legislation.
“This accelerated approval process is the next step to spur development across all sectors.”
Projects would need to come with $250 million in minimum capital spending, and have completed some environmental assessments and consultations with First Nations to qualify for the new system, Jean said.
The bill says industry proponents can apply directly to the minister to start the process.
Jean said that while regulators would have four months to do assessments, the civil servants committee, made up of deputy ministers, would have a 30-day time frame to complete its work.
The group chosen from Smith’s cabinet to do the first overview wouldn’t face deadlines, he said.
“It depends on how complicated it (is),” Jean said of the initial cabinet review.
No guarantee of approval
He also said that just because a government order is issued doesn’t mean shovels are guaranteed to break ground. Provincial regulators would still have the power to deny permits if an applicant requires more work.
“The Alberta Energy Regulator is the regulator. We are politicians. They make the decisions, and we support them with policy,” Jean said.
The accelerated system also wouldn’t discount or diminish Alberta’s duty to consult with First Nations, Jean said.
The energy regulator believes a four-month deadline is achievable, he said, adding that the regulatory process was much quicker long ago and has slowed over time.
“The process is now holding up the process,” he said.
“We need to have a culture of change, and we’re hoping that this is not just for (the) $250-million projects.”
On its website, the Alberta Energy Regulator lists targets for assessing applications. The time frames vary from one week to more than half a year, depending on the type of project or permit.
Jean said he doesn’t think the new time window for regulators to do reviews is rushed. He said major projects in the United States can be approved in less than a month.
“That’s our competition,” he said.
Concerns from opposition
Additional details and rules underpinning the bill are still being finalized, and the new system could be in place before the end of the year.
Opposition NDP energy critic Nagwan Al-Guneid said she’s on board with regulatory efficiency but worries the fast-tracked process will come at the expense of Indigenous consultation and environmental considerations.
“If you don’t do the hard work right now, that will cause major delays down the road,” Al-Guneid said, adding that improper consultations could lead to projects being tied up in court.
She also said adding politicians to the review process would be a challenge and that mixing politics into what’s supposed to be an independent review process by arm’s-length regulators would only increase uncertainty rather than quell it.
“The government needs to govern, the regulator needs to regulate.”
As many major energy or industrial projects require both provincial and federal approval, Alberta’s new framework would only apply to what the province controls. Federal regulators aren’t bound by Alberta’s time frame.
Alberta’s proposed process is similar to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s major projects office, which reviews and approves projects deemed in the national interest within two years.
Jean said two years is too slow and that federal policy has cost Canada billions of dollars in potential investment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2026.