On April 14th, 2026, the Government of Alberta tabled new legislation, Bill 30 – the Expedited 120 Day Approvals Act. The Bill is aimed at accelerating the regulatory approvals process for major projects – those requiring $250 million or more in capital investment in the province. The Bill sets out a series of application requirements and factors the Minister may consider when determining whether a project qualifies for expedited approval.
Application Requirements under the Bill
In order to be considered for the fast-track approvals process, project proponents will need to provide specific information in their application, including:[1]
- The anticipated completion timeline for the project;
- A list of the approvals the proponent knows are required for the project;
- Proof acceptable to the Minister of the status of any required environmental impact assessment reports to be prepared and submitted under the Alberta Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act; and
- Proof acceptable to the Minister of the status of any planned, ongoing, or completed consultations with Indigenous communities relating to the project.
Elements the Minister May Consider
Once an application has been filed, it will be reviewed by the Minister and the newly established project review office. In deciding whether to approve or deny an application, the Minister may consider a range of factors, including whether the project:[2]
- Meets the informational requirements summarized above;
- Strategically aligns with the Government’s goals and priorities;
- Has benefits that outweigh any residual impacts;
- Advances national and provincial security by respecting Alberta’s provincial autonomy and areas of jurisdiction; and
- Any other factors the Minister considers relevant.[3]
Upon receiving a recommendation from the Minister, the Lieutenant Governor in Council may designate the project as a qualified project for the 120-business-day approval timeline.
Analysis
In a press release accompanying the announcement of the Bill, the Government of Alberta noted that “Consultation is not part of the 120-permitting process. Alberta’s duty to consult remains for any project that may impact Treaty rights”.[4] How this will interact with the portion of the Bill stating that the Minister reviewing applications needs to consider the status of any planned, ongoing, or completed Indigenous consultations with respect to a project remains to be seen.
The Bill follows ongoing dialogue between the Alberta government and the Government of Canada, in light of the recent Co-operation Agreement on Environmental and Impact Assessment, where the federal government agreed to defer in large part to Alberta’s environmental assessment and regulatory processes for weighing potential adverse impacts on the environment.[5]
While a majority of the conversation around the Bill will speak to its impact on the oil and gas industry, the legislation could equally apply to other industries, including mining, utilities, forestry, transit, and data centres.
Finally, it should be noted that the Bill requires qualified regulatory decisions be made in 120 business days, not 120 calendar days. This would put the actual regulatory timeline at 24 weeks, or approximately half a year.
Further clarity on these issues may be achieved as the Bill makes its way through the Legislature for approval.
The Lawson Lundell team has extensive experience advising clients on navigating Alberta’s regulatory and approvals frameworks.
We regularly assist project proponents in obtaining federal, provincial, municipal and local approvals for a wide range of energy, oil and gas, utility and mining projects. If you have any questions about the impact of this new legislation on a project or development, please contact Shailaz Dhalla or Scott Poitras.