Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online
REGINA – The long-awaited Saskatchewan New Democratic Party long-term plan for the provincial electrical grid was released in Regina on April 8, and it puts a lot of emphasis on on natural gas-fired power generation, wind, solar and storage, eventual nuclear power, but an end to coal-fired power “as practical.” Instead, coal units would be converted to natural gas for their fuel.
The 21 page document left a lot of white space, including more than three-quarters of a page on “Our Vision.” While there was reference to four possible scenarios via two graphs, there were no specific details on those scenarios with regards to breaking what would specifically happen on what specific timelines.
This is page 12 of the plan, “Our Vision.”
Pipeline Online went through the document, reviewed the press conference and spoke at length to Aleana Young, NDP Economy and Jobs Shadow Minister, who has spent six years on the SaskPower file. Crown Investments Corporation Minister and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison also sent a reply by email.
This story is massive, and as such will be broken into several parts. It’s the most depth made available on this topic after months of development by the “government in waiting.”
Portions of the plan have already been released and reported on in detail, including the hired analysis report on how much coal refurbishment would cost, and on April 7, the NDP’s plan to improve net metering. Pipeline Online has published detailed reports on both.
What’s new on April 8 is the plan itself.
NDP Leader Carla Beck and Young wrote the introduction to the plan. Young noted the key impetus was the plan to rebuild the coal-fired power fleet, announced last year by Harrison. Young wrote, in part:
The Sask. Party’s sudden decision to invest in unabated lignite coal, announced last January, reversed plans built through years of public consultation and expert analysis. It was a major, 25-year announcement, but it failed to set out the financial and operational implications for those paying for power.
Historic losses at SaskPower continue. Key measures—from long-term debt and capital investment to transmission planning and liabilities—have been removed from public reporting. Over the course of finalizing this report, the cost of the Sask. Party’s plan tripled.
The risks of the current path are significant and growing.
Tens of billions in contemplated spending, without independent oversight or a defined offramp, leave our electrical utility—and our economy—exposed. The consequences will fall to future generations, with serious implications for households, farms, businesses, and the province’s credit and debt position.
NDP Leader Carla Beck on March 26. Screen capture via Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
Beck wrote:
Saskatchewan is at a pivotal moment for our economy, for our future. We have the resources to be an energy leader and bring prosperity to every person in the province — and we have a
20-year-old government that hasn’t and won’t get the job done.
The decisions we make today about our power grid and energy sector will shape our economy for generations to come. Lower power bills, lower emissions, economic security and energy sovereignty are possible. Our Grid & Growth Plan is ambitious and relies on the incredibly hardworking and self-reliant people of Saskatchewan. It is grounded in evidence, informed by independent experts and focused on the following principles:
- Lower costs for families and businesses
- A made-in-Saskatchewan approach that is self-sufficient, practical and flexible
- Transparency and independent regulatory oversight
- Proactive engagement with other levels of government and First Nations.
- Collaboration with industry
There are widespread concerns that the Sask. Party government’s current energy strategy will cause power bills to skyrocket — something we are already seeing — and could even bankrupt the province.
We need to make investments that will strengthen Saskatchewan’s economy now and into the future, rather than burdening taxpayers with higher bills and higher debt.
Saskatchewan deserves a government that is proactive and has a plan that will meet the province’s growing needs for power while investing in jobs and communities.
Our plan diversifies generation, modernizes transmission, invests responsibly, and builds a strong and reliable energy mix for the future of renewables, natural gas and nuclear power.
Most importantly, this plan is affordable, realistic and puts Saskatchewan residents, businesses, and workers first. We are ready. It really is time for change.
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Here’s the key points of the NDP plan, taken directly from the plan, and then each major section followed by discussion from either the press conference or with Young. If you see the bar on the left side of the text, that means it is verbatim copied from the plan. For most areas, that’s followed by discussion with Young or comments from the press conference. Notably, this plan is not the “Rocks to Reactors” plan Young has been hinting at since last fall. While nuclear is a part of it, it’s not a huge part.
Grid & Growth Plan 2026
From the modelled scenarios, a pragmatic middle-path emerged which informed the Grid and Growth Plan. The Grid and Growth Plan focuses on reducing costs and minimizing rate increases, while ensuring a supply of electricity for future economic growth. It reduces the numerous risks associated with the Sask. Party’s electrical generation plan.
In the near term, coal is phased out as originally planned by SaskPower, as is practical, alongside growth in natural gas, new transmission, and an expansion of supportive wind, solar, and battery storage. In the medium term, there will be continued growth in renewables, additional natural gas capacity, and upgrades to transmission and distribution. In the long term, large-scale nuclear deployment is pursued as supply chains, regulatory approvals, and workforce capacity allow, with deployment most likely in the 2040s. Partnerships, equity ownership, and joint ventures, including with Indigenous and industrial proponents will expand generations while protecting ratepayers.
ESMIA modelling shows the Grid and Growth Plan builds generation and transmission quickly, reduces risks tied to uncertain nuclear timelines, and preserves flexibility if nuclear generation is delayed. Expanded natural gas infrastructure supports reliability, while renewable deployment allows the private sector to carry much of the upfront capital cost of new generation.
Importantly, the Grid and Growth Plan lowers overall system costs and keeps electricity rates well below the Saskatchewan Party’s approach. Modelling shows electricity rates are significantly lower compared to the government’s plan, economic activity increases by more than $33 billion, emissions fall sooner, and Saskatchewan becomes a more competitive place to invest and grow. The Plan also reduces reliance on imports while lowering fiscal risk and long-term debt exposure.
Generation Strategy
Affordable, reliable electricity is essential to attracting investment, growing industry, and protecting jobs in energy-intensive sectors. Saskatchewan needs a balanced power system that can grow quickly, maintain reliability, and remain flexible as technology and markets evolve.
The Grid and Growth Plan will:
- Build additional combined-cycle natural gas generation and supporting infrastructure to ensure reliability and dispatchable power
- Accelerate grid and transmission build-out
- Rapidly expand wind, solar, and battery storage — the fastest and most cost-effective way to add new capacity and reduce long-term costs
- Pursue joint ventures, power-purchase agreements, and Indigenous equity partnerships to reduce costs and share investment risk
- Work with Prairie provinces to pursue large-scale nuclear projects that benefit from economies of scale
- Explore micro-nuclear opportunities with northern and territorial partners
- Collaborate with industry on demand response to reduce peak costs and improve system efficiency
- Ensure that as the retail kWh rate increases, so does the net-metering rate
- Create the Community Power Program so low-income residents and people in apartments can buy a small share of a net-metering project and have that power credited to their bills – this virtual co-op model lets people without their own roof invest and participate in growing Saskatchewan’s grid
- Modernize and support self-generation for farms, businesses, municipalities, and households
- Formalize long-term planning between SaskEnergy/TransGas and SaskPower to align natural gas and electrification strategies
Global deployment of new generation technologies is accelerating, but Saskatchewan’s climate and geography require a balanced portfolio. Renewables can expand quickly and attract private capital. Long-term natural gas price variability is recognized as a risk, even as Western Canada’s abundant, low-cost gas resources provide a meaningful near- to medium-term advantage. Natural gas — and, over time, nuclear — will provide the baseload and dispatchable power needed to maintain reliability.
Because the future is uncertain, flexibility is essential. By coordinating with western partners on larger nuclear projects, Saskatchewan can benefit from economies of scale and declining technology costs. The Grid and Growth Plan preserves this option while ensuring SaskPower can adapt as costs fall and partnerships emerge.
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Asked in the press conference about their plans for coal, Young replied, “An important part of this plan is, of course, being clear that we don’t think reinvesting in coal to run for 25 more years is an economic decision for the province. Coal can currently run some of the units until 2042 based on the agreement with the federal government. We’re committed to honoring that agreement, we’re running coal as long as it’s practical.
“The government has made a lot of reckless decisions in regards to SaskPower, our standing in supply chains, what we can do. And for communities that, like Estevan, like Coronach, that have access to a skilled workforce, that have critical strategic transmission. That’s where power should be built, whether it’s SMRs, whether it’s returning to the plan to convert to natural gas, that’s part of this plan, and it’s an important thing for those communities and for stability of electricity in Saskatchewan.”
NDP SaskPower critic Aleana Young at the Canadian Nuclear Association West conference in Saskatoon on Oct. 21, 2025. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Converting existing coal-fired facilities, as Alberta did, is a significant part of the NDP’s plan. While Young has for weeks taken issue in Question Period with the Sask. Party government’s plan to refurbish the coal fleet to extend its life to 2050, the NDP’s plan is to operate that very same fleet, or at least parts of it, burning natural gas instead of coal. Young has been harshly critical of the now $2.6 billion expected to be spent on coal refurbishment, noting that is three times more than the original $900 million expected to be spent by 2030 (The $2.6 billion is inclusive to 2035, according to the minister, whereas the $900 million was until 2029.)
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Pipeline Online asked what, specifically, the NDP meant by “as long as it’s practical – how long would they run individual assets.”
Young replied, “As I’ve said a number of times, spending unknown billions on rebuilding the plans to run until 2050 we don’t believe is the economical choice for the province or the best use of taxpayer dollars.”
If not 2050, then what year?
She said, “As is practical, the federal equivalency agreement is still in place again. Last week, the Minister of Environment confirmed that her government is looking to extend and renegotiate that again. And as per that agreement, SaskPower is able to operate their plants until end of life, some of which extend into 2042.”
The only coal units which would extend to that far out would be would be Shand (2042) and Boundary Dam Unit 3 (2044), which was rebuilt in 2011-14 and had carbon capture installed on it. That would mean the rest of the fleet – Poplar River 1 and 2, Boundary Dam 6, and the already-retired but-being-restored Units 4 and 5, would all be done by Dec. 31, 2029, as per that previous plan. The result would be a reduction from around 1500 megawatts of coal capacity (including BD 4 and BD5) to approximately 400 megawatts to the grid.
Young said, “We’re not going to turn these plants off tomorrow.”
She said the NDP is not in government, and would need to “open the books” to see the state of affairs and condition of the fleet.
“We are not looking to shut anything down tomorrow, and as we say in black and white in our report, we will run the coal plants as planned and as practical.”
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As for converting them to natural gas, Young said, “If you look at where we need to build today and into the future, natural gas will provide stable, reliable base load power for Saskatchewan as we build towards the future that includes nuclear power. Why would we look at building greenfield natural gas, when we have communities, when we have transmission infrastructure, when we have substations, when we have skilled workers in places already. Every other jurisdiction, if you look around, that has moved away from coal, which is every other province in the country, they move largely to retrofit these plants with natural gas capacity.”
Pipeline Online asked, “The same argument about rebuilding the generators and the units for coal, if you’re going to have to rebuild it for natural gas, it’s going to be the same as coal. You’re creating steam and whether it’s a 40 or 50 year old turbine, if you’re going to do it for natural gas, you’re still going to have to spend the money to do it for natural gas or coal.”
Poplar River Power Station, one of three SaskPower coal-fired generating stations and currently the one with the highest nameplate capacity. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Young replied, “The price is considerably lower, and you are not then in contravention of agreements the government, that the Sask. Party government has signed and has indicated they’re going to re-sign.
“This is about building for the future and either Sask. Party’s logic, like, let’s unpack this a bit here. The minister has said we cannot build natural gas plants because they’re illegal under the CER. Of course, this is not accurate, but that’s what he’s saying. He said we can’t build gas plants, of course, ignoring the fact that they’re being built out across the country, as well as in his own constituency of Meadow Lake, as well as at industrial sites across the province, at the province’s much touted and new data center, they’re building natural gas. But ignoring all of those examples which completely undermine the minister’s credibility, the idea that you cannot build natural gas because it’s illegal, because of the Clean Electricity Regulations, ergo we are going to rebuild and operate coal assets for 25 years, is a mysterious logic.”
Note: The Clean Electricity Regulations, as gazetted, states:
9 (1) The responsible person for a unit must not emit from the unit in a calendar year a quantity of CO2, determined in accordance with section 12, that exceeds the limit, expressed in tonnes, determined by the formula
C × Iel × 8760 × 0.001
where
C
is the unit’s electricity generation capacity for the calendar year; and
Iel
is the emissions intensity applicable to the calendar year and is
-
(a) 65 tonnes of CO2 emissions per GWh for the 2035 to 2049 calendar years, and
-
(b) 0 tonnes of CO2 emissions per GWh for the 2050 and subsequent calendar years.
This does not apply to units that have been commissioned prior to Jan. 1, 2025. The regulations also state that the prescribed life of a unit is 25 years if it was commissioned between Dec. 31, 2009 and Jan. 1, 2025. And that 65 tonnes of CO2 emissions per GWh is less than half of what Boundary Dam Unit 3 has been able to accomplish with its carbon capture unit over the last 11 years. In other words, the emissions limit is so stringent, no gas plant without carbon capture, nor the singular coal plant with carbon capture, would be able to be allowed under the CER.
In Part 2, The NDP’s plans for small, large and micro nuclear reactors are discussed.
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