Teck, one of Canada’s largest mining companies, has been around for over 100 years. But even with all that experience, they couldn’t handle the federal government’s Impact Assessment. They were going to spend $20 billion on their Frontier Oil Sands Project. The initial application was in 2012, but eight years later, they didn’t have an answer, so they pulled it. On Thursday, they sold off their last oil sands interests and are out of the oil sands entirely. Wonder why?
Justin’s Just Transition
Saskatchewan’s Justice Minister Bronwyn Eyre had something to say about that.
Carbon capture, utilization and storage coming to the fore
Three stories on carbon capture and storage (CCUS): On Wednesday, the feds announced an intake for projects related to CCUS.
And the Petroleum Technology Research Centre announced recently they were including a CCUS summit in this spring’s Williston Basin Petroleum Conference.
And then there’s the oilsands efforts in CCUS. Bonus points for the Canadian Press story including the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Two days in a row, wind power was negative in Sask
The fog and calm winds have not gone away. Four days in a row, wind power in Saskatchewan was either negligible or negative. Two of those days were negative.
And remember that SaskPower is beefing up its interconnect to North Dakota and the Southwest Power Pool, from 150 to 650 megawatts? Well, as of 12:15 a.m., SPP’s power was 45% coal. So we will give up coal power here, and have option to buy coal power from the US. Because that’s what they rely on when the wind decides not to blow there, either.
Wind power production in Saskatchewan went into negative territory
Turns out there’s a new development out of the story that took place on Monday.
Justin Trudeau on Monday didn’t think much of Saskatchewan’s clean energy projects.
On that very day, characterized by fog throughout much of southern Saskatchewan (where the wind turbines are located), SaskPower’s total wind power generation fell to “-1 megawatt,” as in negative one megawatt, according to the Crown corporation’s Where Does Your Power Come From web page. This is the lowest number Pipeline Online has seen since the page went online in September, 2022. It’s also an average throughout the entire day, not just at a particular moment.
According to SaskPower, “The turbines were iced up and unable to produce. The -1 megawatt was load to service the facilities.”
Saskatchewan has 617 megawatts of installed grid-scale wind power generation.
Also, SaskPower is now paying people extra just to stay in Coronach instead of walking away early from the doomed coal plant.
Just as the world cries out for Canadian LNG, “No business case” Trudeau has totally failed us
First Germany comes to Canada, looking for LNG (liquefied natural gas). Then Japan. And we have nothing to give them. Why?
Justin Trudeau. That’s why. And his merry band of anti-energy protestors and ministers.
While the US has moved fast and hard to get LNG export facilities in place over the last decade, Canada has dragged its feet and stubbed its toe. We let protestors (Coastal GasLink), provincial governments (Quebec) and the federal government (Energie Saguenay) get in the way. Now, while the world is crying for LNG from Canada, we have nothing – NOTHING – to give them.
What else would you expect from a government who killed the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines? That scared off Teck from its $20 billion Frontier oil sands project? That hardly whimpered when Biden killed Keystone XL?
The only way this will change is if we have a change in government in Ottawa, and a change in attitude in this nation. We can’t be Can’tada any longer. The world needs us.
What more can Saskatchewan do to keep the lights on?
On Sunday, 42% of our power came from natural gas, and 41% came from coal. Another 12% came from hydro.
1% came from wind
Ottawa, we have a problem.
The “Energy Trilemma” – a super wicked problem
Recently retired SaskEnergy CEO Ken From writes in Pipeline Online about the “Energy Trilemma” – energy security, affordability, and transition; Germany’s folly and practical realities.
There’s a whole lot of cold water splashed on the faces of true believers in the energy transition.
The cultish obsession with renewables – a mixture of managing by pixie-dust and mass delusion – has stymied discussions on real emissions reductions. A recent workshop in Stavanger Norway explored the role of fossil fuels as part of the solution – i.e., how do we maintain energy affordability and energy security within the context of reducing emissions. The participants called this the Energy Trilemma.
Wind in Sask produced an average of 1.3% of its capacity on Wednesday
It turns out that the same day Alberta’s wind power flatlined, so did Saskatchewan’s. SaskPower delays its data reporting two days, which is why it took until Friday to find this out. Note that the 1.3 per cent output was the average for the entire day, meaning that it was even lower for part of the day.
Giant fans didn’t spin too much on Tuesday in the land of living skies
On Tuesday, we didn’t get much in the way of wind power generation, again.
Alberta coffee makers were not powered by wind Wednesday morning, as wind power collapsed, again
Alberta’s electrical grid, with 3,618 megawatts of installed wind generation, was getting just 19 megawatts from wind at 7:26 a.m. on Wednesday. This is after several grid alerts in late November and throughout December.
Year End with Premier Scott Moe, Part 4: Lithium, helium, rare earth elements, oil
Lithium and rare earth elements may be a big deal in Saskatchewan over the next ten years, according to Premier Scott Moe.
Year End with Premier Scott Moe, Part 3: Investment reluctance, LNG and Germany, nuclear
Remember the “no business case for LNG” that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in front of a German chancellor desperate for LNG? Premier Scott Moe talks about that, as well as making a decision on whether to go ahead with nuclear sooner than later. Right now, Saskatchewan is not planning on deciding to go nuclear until 2029.
Year End with Premier Scott Moe, Part 2: oil prices, differentials, federal issues, pipelines and immigration
Premier Scott Moe thinks the reason we didn’t see a spike in drilling when oil prices spiked is a federal government scaring off investment. Part 2 talks about oil prices, differentials, federal issues, pipelines and immigration
Year end with Premier Scott Moe, Part 1: energy security, war, wind, solar and coal
There’s no fluff questions in this year-end interview with Premier Scott Moe. Part one focuses on energy security, the war in Ukraine, wind, solar and coal power.
There are four parts to this interview, to be published this week. Watch for them.
And here’s why we need all that lithium
Because we’re all going to drive electric cars, starting real soon. Didn’t you know?
Wonder where they’re going to get all the power from? Wind?
Alberta electrical grid in peril for the third time in 24 hours
The Alberta Electric System Operator issued a grid alert for the second time in one day, third time in 24 hours, and fifth time in three weeks. And at 5:27, demand hit another all-time peak.
Alberta electrical grid alert second time in less than 24 hours, fourth time this month
For the second time in 2 days, 4th time in December, Alberta Electric System Operator declares a “grid alert” as the power system can’t keep up with demand. It’s too cold for the wind turbines. -31C at Lethbridge, -35 C at Pincher Creek
How the Grinch tried to steal the oilpatch
Everyone’s got a Grinch story at this time of year. This is how the Grinch tried to steal the oilpatch.
Those giant stinking fans failed Saskatchewan, again, on Tuesday
SaskPower delays its reporting of power output by two days. But it turns out that on Tuesday, Dec. 13, wind power production in Saskatchewan all but collapsed. Again. You’d think in winter, having reliable power might be a thing? But we are intent on building more, a lot more, wind and solar.