Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
Crown Investments Corp. Minister and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
REGINA – On Friday, March 13, the Saskatchewan NDP presented a study from an independent analyst firm which said that SaskPower rates would go up if the provincial government continued with its plans to refurbish the coal-fired power generation fleet, in contravention of federal coal regulations, as a bridge to nuclear power generation.
You can read about that in depth here and here.
On the same day, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison replied with the following statement:
“The Government of Saskatchewan’s priority is ensuring families and businesses have access to reliable and affordable power. By choosing to extend the life of our existing assets, SaskPower has reduced projected capital expenditures by $21 billion through 2050.
Today, the NDP released a report prepared by a Quebec consulting firm asserting that the federal carbon tax and clean electricity standards would increase power rates. We could have told them that. In fact, we have been telling them that, which is why we made Saskatchewan the only carbon tax free province in Canada.
Saskatchewan does not operate under the carbon tax or Clean Electricity Regulations “policy” referenced in the report.
The report claims that using existing thermal assets as a bridge to nuclear contributes to higher rates “under policy and under high demand.”
But again, there is no carbon tax or clean electricity standard “policy” here.
The NDP are demanding we import power to meet our needs, but Manitoba and Alberta have no surplus capacity. When extreme cold hits the Prairies, Saskatchewan is often the province exporting power.
Certainly, they don’t expect us to rely on the United States, which is neither practical nor secure.
Our goal is – and must be – long-term power self-sufficiency.
The report states that “government plans could drive higher rates” due to the refurbishment of existing thermal assets. In reality, what drives costs under the consultant’s scenario is the federal carbon tax policy, clean electricity standards and an assumption that Saskatchewan should rely on external jurisdictions for baseload power.
The provincial Energy Security Strategy strengthens and expands Saskatchewan’s electricity system through a diversified, all-of-the-above investment approach. This includes evaluating the cost and value of extending legacy assets versus the cost of new-build options.
Ultimately, we chose a path that prioritizes certainty and security of supply.
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Maintaining existing capacity supports reliability and resilience while Saskatchewan proceeds with planning, licensing, and constructing nuclear generation to achieve a net-zero electricity system by 2050.
The NDP simply cannot be taken seriously. They have spent eight months promising an imminent “plan” and produced nothing of substance – only a report from an out of province consultant that relies on polices not in place in Saskatchewan and a commitment that would put 1,400 people out of work, devastate two communities, and undermine grid security in pursuit of an ideological approach that does not work for Saskatchewan.
Intermittent renewables have a role in our system, but they cannot replace dependable baseload power.
Our Energy Security Strategy also prioritizes the responsible use of Saskatchewan’s natural resources as a bridge to a nuclear future powered with Saskatchewan uranium.
That is a more reliable and secure path than the NDP’s proposal to make Saskatchewan increasingly dependent on imported natural gas more than 90 percent of which already comes from outside our borders. Their approach would cost billions more than the government’s plan.
Our government will continue taking a practical, balanced approach that prioritizes reliability, affordability, and long-term energy security while moving rapidly toward a nuclear-powered future.
- 0114 Prospera Bold Vision0114 Prospera Bold Vision
- 0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer0113 Miller Epic Cinematic Hollywood trailer
- 0111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 010111 2026 SK Oil Show booth promo 01
- 0085 Turnbull snow removal call office0085 Turnbull snow removal call office
- 0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter0110 SaskEnergy SEI_Network_Members_Burn_Brighter
- 0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety0105 SaskEnergy Commitment to Safety
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0100 Turnbull Project Manager0100 Turnbull Project Manager
- 0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p0099 Mryglod Steel 1080p
- 0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD0097 Eagle Sky Ventures LTD
- 0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it0095 Fast Trucking nearly 70 years good at it
- 0092 Turnbull projects big and small0092 Turnbull projects big and small
- 0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser0046 City of Estevan This is Estevan Teaser
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask0061 SIMSA 2024 For Sask Buy Sask
- 0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly0051 JML Hiring Pumpjack assembly
- 0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar0049 Scotsburn Dental soft guitar
- 0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build0041 DEEP Since 2018 now we are going to build
- 0032 IWS Summer hiring rock trailer music
- 0022 Grimes winter hiring
- 0021 OSY Rentals S8 Promo
- 0018 IWS Hiring Royal Summer
- 0013 Panther Drilling PO ad 03 top drive rigs
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