Letters to the Editor can be sent to brian.zinchuk@pipelineonline.ca
Boundary Dam Power Station on April 22, 2026. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Dear Editor:
Re: IBEW 2067 reaction to NDP power plan: Come down to Estevan and Coronach and tell us about it
I grew up in Estevan, never worked in the coal mines or for SaskPower, but had family and many friends that did and still do. The NDP’s plan is a complete disaster for the most part as it completely ignores the jobs that would be lost in the industry based on complete lack of foresight.
I live in Alberta now, suffered through the four year NDP disaster here, and hope Saskatchewan doesn’t make the same mistake Alberta did when they accelerated the coal power phase out here. That saw thousands of job losses, communities destroyed, a government that cost the taxpayers close to $2 billion in PPA contract buyouts, increased costs, and grid instability from rapid renewable energy buildouts that ignored new transmissions infrastructure requirements.
Natural gas generation would work in the southwest part of Saskatchewan due to its natural gas resources, but this would only be as a supplemental backup and would require substantial investment to create the supply as the majority of natural gas production and pipeline distribution systems that was present, has been suspended and abandoned. The NDP’s plan also ignores the infrastructure requirements for natural gas generation, everything from pipelines to compressor stations, not to mention the cost of converting the existing coal plants all adds up to at least a decade or more for each coal fired plant, and in some cases, new builds.
The SMR technology is still developing, so at best, its still a decade out before full commercialization and at least two decades before it would be a major supplier due to a limited trained and skilled operations workforce, which also applies to natural gas plants as well.
The vast coal deposits make it a great source of cheap energy, and combined with new emissions technology that is in place, as well as ongoing research, development and engineering, this has substantially reduced the emissions over the past decade alone. Carbon capture technology is also changing and finding more economic opportunities that just sequestration and EOR.
Trent Wallace
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