This US power line is a big deal for Saskatchewan

23 Replies to “This US power line is a big deal for Saskatchewan”

1. Who in there right mind thinks this makes any sense.

2. These people (I use the term loosely) are probably not stupid. The U.S. is doing the same stupid things. SO. What are they really after???

3. The stupid people in Sask should shut down nothing. Keep the whole damn thing running full bore. Make the government try and shut you down then back them down.

4. According to their website, 50% renewables by 2050 and they’re going all in with the smart grid. They have plans… coal isn’t part of it, they want to drive a final nail in that coffin asap and if it means importing coal fired energy from N.D. at Estevan’s expense they’re jiggy with that.

   In my opinion SaskPower’s executive/board of directors at best are staffed with liberal ideologues…at worst utterly useless potted plants. I’d like to get a sound bite or two from Chief Crazy Bear…Fred Matheson of Men’s Wear fame and of course Mr.Football himself Jim Hopson. Make them earn their keep which is what these days…200G a year? Get them on record how they’re planning to drive Estevan into the ground.

5. the clowns that work for Saskpower should stop voting for Liberals and it would be less likely that they’d be so replaceable with cheaper, non union made energy.

   1. Thor!! The clowns you mention are controlled by Scott Moe and Company?? They (SPC) can’t buy 6 power poles without the Sask. gov’s authority!! Let’s get real with the Sask Party being ”right”.

6. The SK ndp’s all vote for the Sask Party. Nothing has changed in the province.

   In AB the ndp vote always lined up with Lougheed conservatives.

7. Sounds like Saskatchewan should save some costs and eliminate its provincial government and be governed by the Spawn-Fuhrer and the UN.

8. The article from a coal lobbyist is mostly BS. There’s only one coal station on the verge of shutting down: Boundary Dam. It’s over 50 years old and is clapped out junk now, with its capacity factor falling annually for years. One-third of the station is already shut down. The transmission link is about what Saskatchewan can do to keep its electricity supply reliable until such time, by the end of this decade, that new SMR BWXT nuclear reactors are available and licenced for construction and operation.

   1. We may see Boundary and Shand converted to natural gas, sooner than later. That’s BD3 and BD6. Watch for story on BD4 and BD5.
      Here’s an idea: build entirely new coal power plants, designed from scratch with CCS, to run at the highest efficiencies. Is that on the table? A year ago I asked the minister. He said the feds won’t allow anymore coal, period.

      1. He’s probably right. The minister is right to be critical about the federal government. It depends in large part on who forms the government after the next federal election. Conversion to gas-fired Shand and Boundary may be an option. But it may be a severe waste of gas if it’s going through a Rankine steam cycle. rather than simply a combustion turbine. I have a tendency to dislike gas-fired generation, because it seems a waste to burn a high value, readily transportable fuel like nat-gas on a low-grade heating application. Better to sell it to customers who will bring dollars into your economy.

         This is precisely why Ontario will be extending the life of the Pickering reactors. Ontario has no choice: burn gas or refurbish Pickering. Doing without power is not an option. This is also why UAE went nuclear. Nat gas is a highly demanded product, so they want to save as much of it for customers as they can. And they had an outstanding builder for their four reactors at Barakah.

         As for new coal plants, I’m very skeptical as to whether or not CCS will work. Saskatchewan’s own demonstration project was not a success. Furthermore, you have to burn a large additional amount of coal simply to power the CCS system.

         1. They touted the CCS in Saskatchewan as a game changer that would be copied all over the world.

            I haven’t heard of a single company or country copying that effort. Waste of money. It cost over a billion dollars when a same output natural gas plant cost 300 million.

         2. Many people posting here have obviously forgotten or failed their high school science class. CO2 is NOT a pollutant. It is necessary for life. Plants use CO2 for food and plants feed the people. The more CO2 the greener the planet. CO2 in the atmosphere has somewhat leveled off at a low 420ppm. The planet could use much more CO2.

            The CCS experiment was a boondoggle! A total waste of taxpayers dollars. Yes the Sask Party and Sask Power are the same as the ENDP. Time to vote those enemies of the people out.

9. Removing power in Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan.

10. You people are too dumb to understand but Alberta of all places has proven that Solar with natgas backup is 20% cheaper than coal and that’s without subsidies.

    Let the whining and crying begin. Your adherence to expensive and backward fuels like low grade coal will set Saskatchewan back. You dummies are dumber than the NDP if that were even possible.

    1. People like you are too dumb to understand that customer rates go up every time solar power is installed. Actual experience beats your theories every single time. As for Alberta, you are lying.

    2. “You people are too dumb to understand but Alberta of all places has proven that Solar with natgas backup is 20% cheaper than coal and that’s without subsidies.”

       Horse. Shit.

       Prove me wrong. Let’s see the numbers. Bring on the links.

       1. Never heard of Ontario’s Green Energy Act?

       2. Still no links.

          1. Still no evidence of the low cost of solar power. So you and the stupid biker are shilling for the renewables fraud?

11. Should remain it … SaskTransmission
    or call it NorthDakotaPower

12. There are certain strategic industries that countries must control, power is one of them. Outsourcing energy production is as dangerous as outsourcing food production.

13. Where is North Dakota getting the energy to produce power??

    Please, don’t say ”Lignite, North Dakota.” Same coal as we have here in SW Sask.

    Nuclear is our best choice.