Ince, DavidHirsche, KeithBruce, Alyssa Julie2020-09-292020-09-292020-08Bruce, A. J. (2020). Brownfields to Brightfields: Re-Purposing Alberta’s Unreclaimed Oil and Gas Sites for Solar Photovoltaics (Unpublished master's project). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112639https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/38298A portion of Alberta’s unreclaimed ‘brownfield’ oil and gas sites could be re-purposed as ‘brightfields’ with solar photovoltaic installations supporting provincial objectives to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation, address brownfield liabilities and mitigate cumulative effects of development. Elemental Energy (Alberta 2003) Inc. has initiated a repurposing pilot project however formal institutions, such as policies and regulations, and informal institutions, such as norms and values, may influence expansion of this sustainable endeavour. Through interviews and document analysis, this research investigated, “What are the opportunities and barriers to developing solar photovoltaic infrastructure on Alberta’s unreclaimed oil and gas sites?” The findings suggest that existing institutions support re-purposing a subset of brownfields with micro-generation systems, however policy and regulatory ambiguity hinder broader expansion by affecting the economic feasibility of distributed generation projects, limiting the number of re-purposing candidate sites and reinforcing constraining mindsets in the power generation and oil and gas industries.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.report