Zero, Zip, Nada. Wind output in Alberta on Jan. 2.
I had to rewrite the story at least five times and change my headline three times as the numbers kept falling, ultimately to zero.
And amazingly, in Facebook comments on this story, some people still argue “zero”. One person called it “misleading.”
Also:
Brian Crossman: Being good neighbours
And:
SaskPower seeking 3.9% rate increases this February and next February
Michael Zwaagstra: Liberals being hypocritical on plastics ban.
And, since everyone is doing the whole year in review, here’s the biggest energy story in Saskatchewan for 2025:
Saskatchewan to rebuild its coal fleet, despite federal regulations calling for its demise
This was the biggest story in Saskatchewan’s energy sector in 2025, by a wide margin. Even the Premier agreed, when asked about it in December. Saskatchewan to rebuild its coal fleet, despite federal regulations calling for its demise. It’s my understanding we should see Boundary Dam Unit 4 returned to service soon in the new year. It was retired under the federal coal regulations, but continually brought back into service because, guess what, we needed it. About a year ago it was finally disconnected, only to be called back to service now.
Jim Warren: Expect more headlines announcing attacks on sanctions-dodging oil tankers in 2026: that could a good thing for Canadian producers
No, I did not write this next one – it’s from the Canadian Press.
No faith in fossil fuels? Why some religious leaders are speaking out on climate change
Nova Scotia ready for private companies to start exploring for onshore natural gas
Feds announce plan to reduce methane emissions from oil sector, landfills.
Appparently Guilbeault’s handiwork is not gone enough. Two years ago, he announced major methane reductions. Saskatchewan, of course, vigorously opposed them.
Also: Canadian oilpatch can withstand crude market doldrums, experts say.
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 24: Premier Scott Moe Year End
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe joins the Pipeline Online Podcast in his annual year-end interview. The discussion digs into the coal decision, Saskatchewan’s move into nuclear, carbon capture, interties to Alberta’s grid, and the Alberta-Canada MOU. The multilateral well program, oil production goals, Saskatchewan’s new energy and resources minister, lithium and hydrogen are also discussed.
Ford kills its pure EV pickup. New version will have a gas generator motor
Hydrogen in SK Part 1: How the quest for helium led to MAX Power drilling for Hydrogen
For those who are keeping track, just some of the elements Saskatchewan already produces are CxHx (*hydrocarbons), KCl, U, AU, He and soon Li and Cu (we might already have some copper production, but I’m not sure.)
RM of Weyburn public hearing into Seven Stars wind project hears 6 supporters, 3 opponents.
No lynchings took place at this time.
Quick Dick McDick: Whitetail hunting 2025
Brian Zinchuk: All out of CN towers to climb and economies to ruin, Guilbeault walks the plank
If he had continued down his radical path, and was given the power to do it, as Trudeau had done, we could have lost the country. We still might.
It has significant implications for Saskatchewan, including power generation, interties, nuclear, and, oh yeah, pipelines and oil production.
What the Alberta-Canada pipeline MOU means for Saskatchewan
Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding, verbatim
Carney’s speech on the Canada-Alberta pipeline MOU, verbatim
Canadian Press:
Eby brands pipeline ‘energy vampire’ as First Nations vow it will never happen
Comments and reaction on Ottawa-Alberta pipeline memorandum of understanding
Is this thing the real deal? Guilbeault resigned over it! It was real enough for him to fall on his sword. I really want to write that story but I need to drive four hours Friday morning so it’ll have to wait.
Headlines I am considering:
Christmas does indeed come in November, as Guilbeault resigns
Ding, dong, the climate witch resigned
His legacy unravelled by Carney’s pipeline MOU, Guilbeault quits cabinet
Hot on the heels of returning from COP30, Guilbeault quits over pipeline MOU
At an end his reign is, and not short enough it was: Guilbeault quits (read it in Yoda’s voice)
Canada’s energy bogeyman quits over pipeline MOU
The climate house he build is falling to pieces, so Guilbeault quits
Climate warrior Steven Guilbeault undone by Carney’s pipeline MOU, resigns in protest
The guy who wanted you to freeze in the dark just quit cabinet
Arguably the man most hated by the Canadian energy sector (besides Trudeau) packs it in
All out of CN towers to climb and economies to ruin, Guilbeault walks the plank
I might just use all of them. I’ll probably have a half dozen more when I wake up. Maybe I’ll make a contest for the best headline.
I will publish his entire resignation letter as soon as I’m able.
Brian Zinchuk: If you’re serious, put your Grandma’s old folks home on the prioritized list to turn the lights off in January
Update: Honestly, I didn’t plan this. But 12 hours after I posted the column, this happened:
Alberta wind generation falls to 0.12% capacity late Wednesday night
Pump it underground. Seriously. Compressed air batteries could be done in Saskatchewan.
If you build a wind farm in SK vs AB, you will get roughly one third more megawatt-hours out of it. Build the same turbine, get one third more return. That’s a surprising conclusion from analyzing wind capacity factors in SK and Alberta, seen in this story.
Zero still means zero, but this was rather eye-opening.
It’s also interesting to see how some wind farms in Alberta don’t perform worth a damn. Take a good look at the graph. You see several with capacity factors as low as 16 per cent.
Enbridge files wind project development permit applications with RMs of Weyburn and Griffin
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 22: Donny Duncan, Millennium Land, a real live landman
Multilateral designs lift more energy with a smaller environmental footprint
Letter to the Editor: Ice-related developments in the Canadian shipping industry
Jim Warren: COP30—where worlds collide, climate alarmists wring their hands and nothing goes right
Eby says B.C. is at a ‘pivot point’ as he promises future based on natural resources
So it looks like a minor pipeline expansion of the Enbridge Mainline is in the works:
Enbridge has no plans to apply for national interest project as it tackles expansions.
And one of the companies that feeds those pipelines is Canadian Natural Resources:
Canadian Natural president awaiting more detail on Ottawa’s climate plans
And here’s a nice little video showing life on a drilling rig.
All of a sudden Carney’s talking a pipeline to the BC coast. Carney tells business crowd a new pipeline project is ‘going to happen’
Correction: it does mention “pipeline” once in reference to the Pathways Project, but not to the West Coast.
Ask me how many times it mentioned “climate” or “gender”
Also:
Brian Zinchuk on Evan Bray Show: Federal budget 2025 and nuclear power generation
Budget 2025: Saskatchewan impacts: Industrial carbon tax is back on the menu, tax credits for nuclear
Op-Ed: CAPP on Budget 2025: Saskatchewan’s Place in Canada’s Energy Superpower Ambition
In depth with the minister on Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan
Pipeline Online Popcast, Ep. 20: Estella Petersen, on opportunities for First Nations people in the oilpatch
Jim Warren: The Keystone XL is a long way from being revived: The corpse twitches, but does not dance