An op-ed, short for “opposite the editorial page”, is a written prose piece, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication’s editorial board.
This is the Fleet Environmental Services storage cavern at Melville on Nov. 1, 2025. It was originally operated by Plains Environmental, which repurposed a retired gas cavern to store oilfield waste products. Saskatchewan has a long history of cavern construction and usage. This site has been in operation for waste disposale for over two decades, and was a gas cavern long before that. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Like coal, our sunshine and wind are free for the taking, and they will likely last forever. Although abundant and generally predictable they are both intermittent and must be backed by natural gas and hydro generation to cover the gap. But here’s the thing: electricity from renewables can be stored then used later during periods when it’s calm or dark, when the wind and solar are taking a holiday. This stored energy can fill the gap until it’s sunny and windy again, which happens a lot in Saskatchewan. Using our excellent and well-understood geological resources we can build air batteries to store this energy. This is the opportunity that comes with using Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), a proven long duration energy storage technology. Having energy stored is like having money in the bank – available when we choose to spend it when it is most advantageous to us.
Brian Brunskill
Our geological resources have provided abundant prosperity to our province for several generations and exploiting our natural salt deposits now to develop giant caverns as air batteries will support our energy security into the future. Our understanding of these salt deposits rests on the shoulders of our long-term mining of potash and building caverns for natural gas storage. Using our natural resources – wind, solar and salt caverns – we can generate dependable and dispatchable electricity for generations. And by reducing our dependence on imported natural gas from Alberta we strengthen our energy independence while supporting workers and businesses in Saskatchewan.
- 0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0101 VP Energy Road to adventure0101 VP Energy Road to adventure
- 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
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 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
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
Over 60 salt caverns have been built and operated in Saskatchewan since 1964 to store natural gas, liquid hydrocarbons and for oilfield waste disposal. And since 1978 and 1991, respectively, the nuclear and coal power generation industries in Germany and Alabama have used salt caverns to store compressed air when generation exceeds demand, then releasing it later to generate electricity when demand is higher. Cavern development and operations here also support our highly skilled oilfield contractors and trades. The equipment required for generation is also well understood, being similar to gas turbine power plants.
In Saskatchewan, studies have shown that having CAES coupled with wind generation could provide the same service, and is cost competitive with new, best in class Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) generation while using 80 per cent less natural gas. Operating four, five million ft3 caverns, a 300-megawatt (MW) CAES facility can provide up to 60 hours of continuous generation, bridging the gap when wind and solar are unavailable. Scalability is cost effective as additional caverns can be constructed to provide even greater duration.
A CAES plant enables the addition of lots of wind and solar generation by re-timing the generation to when it is most valuable. Given an ever-increasing need for new, additional power, why would we leave wind and solar off the table, especially when we consider the economic punch it can provide to municipalities and landowners.
- 0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0101 VP Energy Road to adventure0101 VP Energy Road to adventure
- 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
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 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
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
The financial benefits of wind development projects in rural Saskatchewan can be summarized in Enbridge’s proposed $500 M, 200 MW Seven Stars Energy Project near Weyburn. With this project there will be approximately $3-$4 M per year paid towards municipal taxes, lease payments and operators, totalling about $100 M over the 30-year life of the project. As mentioned in a previous PipelineOnline article – this revenue can help municipalities pay for a lot of gravel while reducing the tax burden of ratepayers. According to Enbridge, during construction there will be a workforce of about 100 people for two years, many relying on local services like lodging, restaurants and recreation, representing about $75 M in labour spending and approximately $20-$40 M spent for local contract work. In 2024, Alberta municipalities with wind and solar projects received over $54 M in revenue through taxation.
Assuming annual lease payments of $15,000 per turbine, having four turbines installed per section would provide $60,000 in revenue. Indexed at 2 per cent annually, this passive income can support farming operations with approximately $2.4 M per section over the expected 30-year project life.
A service rig works on a cavern south of Melville on Nov. 1, 2025. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Our work shows that to provide 300 MW of CAES baseload capacity, approximately 900 MW of wind generation are required. If turbines are rated at 4.5 MW capacity, each development would require about 200 turbines. The local economic impact to support this single CAES facility could be 4-5 times the impact identified for the Seven Stars project, requiring a $2.5 B injection of outside (non-taxpayer) capital. The wind generation does not need to be at one location or co-located with the CAES facility, enabling the economic benefits to be spread across much of southern Saskatchewan’s grain belt.
Red Lilly Wind Facility near Moosomin, in 2023. Photo by Brian Zinchuk
Utility-scale renewables development across southern Saskatchewan will provide significant economic diversification to our farmers, ranchers and their communities, while increasing revenues to their municipalities. For many Saskatchewan producers who are experiencing drought and uncertain crop yields, having additional guaranteed non-farming income will be well received. In July 2025, the RMs of Maple Creek, Fox Valley, Enterprise and Waverley declared states of emergency due to drought. Receiving guaranteed cash during these periods would help smooth these challenging times. Positive messaging and support from government leadership for these developments is critical to their broad community support and adoption. Negative messaging kills this narrative and disadvantages farmers and ranchers.
- 0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0101 VP Energy Road to adventure0101 VP Energy Road to adventure
- 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
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 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
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001
This image is a simple illustration of wind and solar generation either going directly to the grid or being used to compress air in purpose-built salt caverns as air batteries. When the electricity is needed later, this compressed air is released into a generator-linked turbine.
This image is a simple illustration of wind and solar generation either going directly to the grid or being used to compress air in purpose-built air batteries. When the electricity is needed later, this compressed air is released into a generator-linked turbine.
There is abundant news currently about the advancement of coal and SMR power generation in Saskatchewan, emphasizing their reliability and cost-effectiveness for ratepayers. These are good conversations for Saskatchewan resident’s to be having with our political leadership. However, what is glaringly missing in these conversations is the economic opportunity that also comes with developing our renewable energy sources, and how investments in these technologies will contribute to the prosperity of a much wider segment of our society.
New wind and solar with CAES are reliable and cost effective and should be considered as an additional, cost-effective resource as we look at Saskatchewan’s electricity generation future.
Brian Brunskill has worked as a consulting geologist in Saskatchewan’s oil and potash industries since 1985 and is a firm supporter of our self-reliant energy future.
- 0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec0104 SaskPower SASPO-2907 Hero Video_30sec
- 0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended0102 Lori Carr Coal Extended
- 0101 VP Energy Road to adventure0101 VP Energy Road to adventure
- 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
- 0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion0087 Lori Carr Coal Expansion
- 0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech0077 Caprice Resources Stand Up For Free Speech
- 0076 Latus only0076 Latus only
- 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
- 0002 gilliss casing services0002 gilliss casing services
- 9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX9002 Pipeline Online 30 sec EBEX
- 9001