Minister Brian Jean announced the development of a new incentive program during his remarks at the PDAC 2026 'Powering the Future: SMRs, Critical Minerals, and Energy Security' session on March 2, 2026. (Image Credit: Government of Alberta)

By rdnewsNOW Staff

Energy/Environment

Alberta announces incentive program to boost critical minerals sector

Mar 5, 2026 | 3:56 PM

The Alberta government says it is developing a new incentive program to attract investment in the province’s critical minerals sectors, as global demand continues to grow.

Targeted for launch in 2027, provincial officials say the new incentive program is a key part of the government’s Minerals Strategy and Action Plan. They say the plan is designed to unlock the province’s mineral potential, support job creation and strengthen Alberta’s position as a destination for mineral development and processing.

According to the government, this strategy is said to be critical to Alberta and Canada’s ability to meet growing global demands for critical minerals while strengthening the province’s energy security and supply chains. Theprovince says this sector has the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs and attract billions of dollars of investment.

“Minerals are essential to our economic future, energy security and global competitiveness,” said Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals, in a press release this week. “Alberta has an important role to play as a leading North American processor and refiner of critical minerals. These incentives will attract the needed jobs and investment to meet this demand.”

Government officials say Alberta has a largely untapped but significant mineral resource base, particularly lithium. The province says this is one of Alberta’s most promising opportunities for mineral development and processing.

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In Alberta, note provincial officials, lithium can be extracted from the brine of old oil and gas wells, often found in the same geological formations as natural gas. The government says that according to the Alberta Geological Survey’s recent in-place lithium estimate, the province has one of the largest lithium reserves in the world.

Provincial officials say Alberta’s mineral resource base also includes iron, vanadium, rare earth elements, petroleum coke for synthetic graphite production and uranium. The government says most of the minerals included on Canada’s critical minerals list are found in the province.

To attract this investment, Alberta’s government says it is exploring different incentives, which include:

• Non-refundable mineral processing tax credit opportunities and increased access to appropriate Crown Land.
• Contemplation of a “flow-through share” tax credit to support critical mineral exploration in Alberta by allowing corporations to claim a portion of their expenses from exploration and development or resources.

“Alberta is making substantial progress in the critical minerals sector by promoting the exploration of these minerals within the province and advancing the processing of ores into refined products,” added John Rhind, president-elect, Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). “This initiative not only benefits the citizens of Alberta but also enhances the economic well-being of Canada as a whole.”

The province describes the incentive program as a step forward in Alberta’s commitments under a recently signed memorandum of understanding with British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Government officials say the Western Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy aims to position the region as one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of responsibly sourced critical minerals.

Government of Alberta quick facts

• The Western Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy will:
  • Promote Western Canada as a global hub for critical minerals innovation and sustainable development.
  • Prioritize regional critical mineral hubs.
  • Identify the infrastructure planning and investment needed to maximize mineral extraction, processing and export capacity.
• Alberta has about 82.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in place, with more than two million hectares already leased for exploration across the province.
  • Our lithium reserves have the potential production of more than 10 billion electric vehicle battery packs, worth an estimated one trillion U.S. dollars.