24,000 jobs could be lost in Alberta’s renewables pause: Report

A clean energy think tank says Alberta's pause on approvals for new renewable energy projects is affecting 118 projects worth $33 billion of investment.

In a new report, the Pembina Institute says those projects would create enough jobs to keep 24,000 people working for a year.

Earlier this month, the province's United Conservative government said it would pause all renewable energy approvals until February as it considers issues such as land use and reclamation.

The move has stunned Alberta's booming renewables industry, with several companies with projects in the works saying the uncertainty is causing them to look elsewhere.

'The UCP's moratorium on renewable will kill jobs and investment. It must be overturned now'. NDP Leader Rachel Notley said.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Alberta producers are reducing the amount of greenhouse gases they emit during production.

"We don't need a just transition in Alberta because we don't intend to transition away from oil and gas," Smith said.