The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday, Aug. 5, edition that the Alberta government has placed a moratorium on new wind and solar projects. The Globe's Jeffrey Jones and Emma Graney write that senior officials at several companies affected by the freeze on project applications said they were given no warning that Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party government would take the drastic measure, which it announced Thursday. They said the move would suppress an industry that has delivered billions of dollars worth of green energy projects over the past four years, all in a free market. The Globe says companies that are affected by the moratorium said they had no inkling of the government's plans before the announcement. Developers have rushed to Alberta to take advantage of its ample solar and wind resources, and a market structure that lets electricity buyers sign long-term power-purchase agreements with generators. Those buyers include Microsoft, Amazon.com, Royal Bank of Canada, Telus, Cenovus Energy and others, all of which are looking to reduce their carbon footprints. Such deals have backstopped nearly $4.7-billion in new projects in Alberta since 2019, and 2023 was on track to be a record year.