Canada has committed to an electricity system by 2030 that will be 90 per cent carbon non-emitting, a move that requires transitioning to renewable energy such as wind, solar and biomass.

But the current impact assessment (IA) process used by public regulatory bodies for evaluating these projects can be expensive and time consuming because project proponents often have to address issues that repeatedly have been raised and answered in reviews elsewhere, says University of Saskatchewan researcher Bram Noble.

“We want to make the process more efficient without losing the effectiveness of the impact assessment process in moving projects forward,” he said.

Noble, a professor in the geography and planning department of the U of S College of Arts and Science, has been awarded an Insight grant of $92,000 by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to develop an efficient IA process for renewable energy projects.

 

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