Author: Brian Zinchuk

No business case, indeed

Remember when Germany came to Canada for LNG, and Trudeau took their Chancellor to Newfoundland for wind-generated hydrogen?
N.L. vows to chase wind-hydrogen companies for $34.5 million in overdue land fees.

 

And regarding wind power generation, I just posted this.

For 52 minutes straight on Saturday, Alberta’s 1760 wind turbines had zero output and couldn’t charge a cellphone

…. and its’s still showing zero right now, for at least another 24 minutes, and counting.

Can Saskatchewan do the CANDU?

Should Saskatchewan buy the CANDU reactor when it comes to building large-scale nuclear in this province? Carl Marcotte Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Business Development at CANDU Energy, part of AtkinsRealis, makes the pitch. Building large reactors will only be the largest, most expensive decision made by this province for generations.

Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 29: Carl Marcotte, CANDU Energy

I’m hoping to get Westinghouse on in a future episode, as the main competitor.

Related: Cameco CEO on whirlwind Washington trip for talks on reactor deal

Also – Jim Warren: Critical questions about the Alberta-Ottawa pipeline MOU remain unanswered

Enbridge unfazed by prospect of more Venezuelan oil headed to Gulf Coast

TC Energy sets growth sights on U.S. data centre boom

Get the paddles!

Things have been looking really bleak for southwest Saskatchewan’s oilpatch. If this were a medical drama, this would be where the doctor puts the paddles on the dying patient’s chest, yells, “Clear!” and shocks the patient.

We might have just seen a little blip on the heart monitor with this land sale.

Whew! Southwest Saskatchewan sees more interest in this land sale than in all of 2025 combined

And yes, it is that bad. Most oilfield services in that region have either shut down or are barely hanging on. I spent an hour yesterday talking to the owner of several businesses in that area.

 

One judicial smackdown apparently wasn’t enough …

BREAKING: Round two: Appeal filed on coal decision ruling.

At question:  Do a 12 year old, a podcaster and someone who doesn’t even live here get to kill 1100 coal-related jobs? According the Court of King’s Bench, no, they don’t. Governments get to make those sorts of decisions, and can’t be second guessed by the courts.

Well, these applicants are taking a second round at second guessing.

 

Keepin’ those lights on

Boundary Dam Power Station

Natural gas and coal kept Saskatchewan’s lights on during frigid weather. As in, nearly every furnace in this province saw its fan running as a result of natural gas and coal, right when we needed it most.

Also: Bronwyn Eyre inaugural recipient of new award for Canadian champions of freedom. She happens to be cohost of the Pipeline Online Podcast and a regular columnist.

Brian Crossman: Artificial Intelligence, the oilpatch, and John Wick’s dog.

And under the file of “I’ll believe it when I see it”: If elected, the Parti Québécois would not necessarily oppose new gas or oil pipelines

Carney’s Davos speech

Mark Carney’s speech in Davos, verbatim, and in video.

I informed some people I was with on Tuesday I am starting a new drinking game. Every time I hear an otherwise conservative politician say something nice about Mark Carney, drink.

It turns out that bottle of Scotch I got for Christmas could go pretty quick. The people I was with were conservative politicians. Take that for what you will.

BREAKING: Coal injunction tossed, judicial activism rebuked

Boundary Dam Power Station

BREAKING: Coal injunction tossed; court says governments get to make environmental policy. In other words, the coal injunction is dead it its tracks. @SaskPower can rejuvenate its coal fleet. The decision is a rebuke of the trend of judge-made law and activist courts, clearly noting the supremacy of the legislative branch in making policy.

This is a huge decision on many points – not just on coal, but on putting activist judges in their place. It will be cited for a long time to come.

The pendulum just may be swinging back to sanity.

Also: NDP criticizes impending SaskPower rate hikes, minister responds

If you don’t breathe for 12 hours, do you ask about a good day?

Saskatchewan saw zero wind power for 17 hours over two days.

Hilariously, a Saskatchewan doctor commented on Facebook re this story, “Are you able to share the data for a day where we had good wind production too, for comparison sake?”

I responded, “Doctor, when you look at a patient, do you say, “Let’s look at a day when he’s breathing, because on this day for 12 hours he wasn’t breathing?”

“You don’t judge critical systems by their good days, but their worst. You of all people should know that.”

Related:

NDP calls SaskPower rate hike “fiscal trainwreck,” Minister calls it “modest” compared to the alternative.

Trump & Co. mentioned oil 26 times …

… during the press conference after nabbing Venezuela’s Maduro.

This is a HUGE problem for Canada, as every barrel of oil Venezuela adds would most likely displace a barrel Canada produces. How do I know? Because Canadian oil replaced Venezuelan production over the last two decades.

Brian Zinchuk: Trump’s takeover of Venezuela means Canada needs those west coast pipelines ASAP

Don’t believe me? Here’s Adam Pankratz in the National Post.

Adam Pankratz: Venezuelan oil could put Canada out of business

If sabotage of the energy industry doesn’t end now, we face impoverishment

I swear I wrote my own column a day before I saw his. They’re almost word for word in some parts.

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