The Financial Post reports in its Friday edition that a poll released Thursday says nearly two-thirds of Albertans oppose the provincial government's moratorium on approvals for new renewable energy projects. A Canadian Press dispatch to the Post reports that Calgary Climate Hub director Angela Mcintyre says, "This poll clearly demonstrates that a strong majority of Alberta residents do not support the Alberta government's ill-conceived ban on new renewable energy projects." Climate Hub had commissioned the poll from Leger. The province said the pause was necessary to ensure land-use and reclamation concerns were taken into account as it grows. It also said the pause was requested by Rural Municipalities Alberta. That group says it did not ask for a pause. The on-line poll surveyed 1,000 Albertans between Aug. 25 and Aug. 27. It offered four choices -- whether they thought the pause was definitely needed, probably needed, definitely not needed or probably not needed. It found 65 per cent of respondents chose one of the last two options. The figure was slightly higher in Edmonton and Calgary and slightly lower in rural areas -- although 57 per cent of those outside the two big cities still agreed the pause was not needed.