Reading Time: < 1 minute Landowners have the right to say no to communications towers, which include cellular, wireless internet, and oil/gas communications towers. “Many landowners assume that communications towers fall under the Alberta Surface Rights Act,” said Jeana Schuurman, rural engagement and communications specialist with the Farmers’ Advocate Office. “Communications towers are actually federally regulated by Innovation, Science and […] Read more
Communications towers a private matter for landowners
Get advice on renewable energy leases
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has released an updated guide for landowners who have been approached by renewable energy developers to lease land for wind and solar developments. The first version of the guide, called Renewable Energy in Alberta, only came out in February but has been revised following a series of presentations to landowners across […] Read more
Landowners not on the hook for insolvent gas or oil companies
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Alberta Utilities Commission recently released a decision confirming its authority to order refunds for the electrification costs of oil and gas leases that were mistakenly billed to farmers. Last year, an electric utility was trying to collect payment from farmers for electricity supplied to an insolvent oil and gas company. Some landowners brought the […] Read more
Don’t be fooled by false promises
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office is hearing concerns about negotiation practices on utility projects, transmission lines, and pipelines. “One of the frustrations we’ve been hearing from landowners is that some have been given the impression that the company will come back and ‘top off’ compensation if another landowner along the same route negotiates at a higher […] Read more
The lowdown on solar and wind leases
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has released a new publication titled Negotiating Renewable Energy Leases. “The FAO has been seeing an increase in the number of calls about negotiating wind and solar leases,” said spokesperson Jeana Schuurman. The publication covers some key differences between wind and solar leases and those for oil and gas. Since wind […] Read more
Some landowners wrongly billed for power
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) is warning landowners to watch their electricity bills if they have surface leases with insolvent companies. EPCOR has collected payment from landowners for providing three-phase electric power to a surface lease after an oil and gas company became insolvent. The company relied on a clause in its service agreement where […] Read more
Landowners’ rights and exploration
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office has updated one of its key publications to help landowners understand their rights relating to geophysical exploration. Geophysical Exploration and Landowners’ Rights answers the five most common questions about geophysical exploration, including whether landowners can refuse permission for exploration on their land. (They can.) It also explains the notification process and […] Read more
Alberta landowner backed by Surface Rights Board
Reading Time: < 1 minute A recent Surface Rights Board decision has ruled against a unilateral reduction of surface lease rentals in Alberta. In the case, an energy company argued, “We only pay for leases with active wells on them.” The panel disagreed, saying, “Payment of compensation is not at the discretion of the operator.” Under surface lease agreements, lessors […] Read more
Farming Must Change To Feed The World – for Feb. 16, 2009
Reading Time: 2 minutes “In the name of intensification in many places around the world, farmers over-ploughed, over-fertilized, over-irrigated, over-applied pesticides.” The world’s farmers must quickly switch to more sustainable and productive farming systems to grow the food needed by a swelling world population and respond to climate change, FAO’s top crops expert told an international farm congress Feb. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
