Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
NDP Leader Carla Beck asking about coal refurbishment on May 6. Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
REGINA – The Saskatchewan NDP have yet again ramped up their rhetoric on whether or not Saskatchewan should rebuild its coal-fired power generation fleet.
On May 20, the provincial opposition launched it’s latest effort, a website to entice whistlebowers and others disgruntled with government policy, promising that such people could submit their concern “securely and confidentially.”
It’s a continuation of the thread of leaks the NDP brought forward towards the end of the legislative session last week.
Openthebooks.ca asserts that $26 billion could be spent on a large list of things instead of power generation. Examples on a scrolling list include:
- 90 Jim Pattinson Children’s Hospitals.
- Hiring 297,000 nurses
- 29 Prince Albert hospitals.
- 14 Regina bypasses
- 394 Harbour Landing schools.
- 556 x 4 new repurposed water bombers
- 5 Artemis II missions to the moon, and more.
What the website does not describe is how any of these will be powered if conventional coal is shut down in three years, seven months and nine days from today, as federal regulations require. Nor does it imply any of the money that could theoretically build 394 schools would be necessary to build new power stations and transmission lines, or the fuel to power said stations. In keeping with this theme, NDP Shadow Minister for Jobs and Economy and SaskPower Critic Aleana Young said in a Facebook post on May 20 “Without these brave people, Scott Moe and Jeremy Harrison would be writing a $26 billion cheque with public money that all of us have to pay for.”
According to SaskPower’s Where your Power Comes From web page, on May 18, 2026, 34 per cent of total power generation in Saskatchewan came from coal, an average of 1027 megawatts over 24 hours.
Natural gas accounted for 40 per cent of power generation, at an average 1,224 megawatts over 24 hours. Coal was at 73.4 of its current nameplate of 1,389 megawatts nameplate capacity. Natural gas was at 49.3 per cent of its nameplate 2,481 megawatts capacity. Wind, however, only accounted for four per cent total generation, at 109 megawatts over 24 hours. And that was 13.3 per cent of wind’s nameplate capacity.
Power generation in Saskatchewan on May 18, 2026. SaskPower
Hydro produced an average of 606 megawatts out of a nameplate capacity of 865. That’s 70 per cent output. Hydro accounted for 20 per cent of total power generation for the day over 24 hours.
Solar output, at 6 megawatts out of 30 megawatts grid-scale capacity, was again negligible.
Two per cent of total generation, 59 megawatts came from “other,” which includes small power producers and interties to neighbours.
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The NDP’s increasingly apoplectic rhetoric now calls the coal refurbishment plan a “catastrophe.”
The May 20 press release, which purports the government has issues with numbers, in its first paragraph makes an error with its own numbers.
“Carla Beck’s team is working to crack the Sask. Party’s books wide open, building further on the scandals, lies and gross mismanagement from a 20-year government that forgot long ago who it was elected to serve.”
The Saskatchewan Party formed government Nov. 21, of 2007, precisely 18.5 years ago, not 20. The NDP, under then-Premier Lorne Calbert, were in power 20 years ago.
The release continues, “On Tuesday, the team launched OpenTheBooks.ca, a website where people can securely — and anonymously if they so choose — blow the whistle on Scott Moe’s failing government. The website comes in the wake of a massive scandal exposed by Beck’s team in which Moe and his SaskPower Minister Jeremy Harrison are planning to spend $26-billion to refurbish coal plants without telling the people of Saskatchewan. The plan was deemed “extreme” by SaskPower’s own officials, would double power rates for people and see the cancellation of renewable energy projects.
“We know Saskatchewan people are ready for change,” Beck said. “This a government constantly embroiled in scandal, that wastes money with no oversight and that is more focused on propping up their friends and campaign insiders while everyday people get stuck with the bill.
“The $26-billion coal catastrophe was only exposed because brave people who care about the future of this province risked their careers to get us proof. Today, we’re appealing further to Saskatchewan people to come forward with information and help us uncover where else this government is failing — help us open the books.”
UPDATE (For some reason this paragraph failed to paste when this story was posted.)
The Government of Saskatchewan released a statement on May 20 by email, saying, “As was confirmed by the president and CEO of SaskPower last week, the NDP’s Grid and Growth Plan is eight times the cost of the government’s plan to maintain reliable and affordable power for Saskatchewan into the future – $21B compared to $2.6B. That means the NDP’s plan leaves little money for the important services Saskatchewan people count on, like health care. This is the same party that mixed up revenue expenses and is questioning the leadership of their leader. This is why no one can take the NDP seriously.”
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