Oh, now the Liberals need Alberta oil and gas…
To use as leverage to protect the Dairy Cartel and eastern manufacturing. https://t.co/WpjjkJBSz6
— David Staples (@DavidStaplesYEG) April 25, 2026
LNG, NDP electrical plan and Spaceballs
Brian Zinchuk: LNG, the NDP’s electrical plan and Spaceballs
End of series on NDP’s electrical plan:
Digging deep on the NDP’s “Grid & Growth” plan for Saskatchewan’ electrical grid, Part 3: Wind, Solar, Storage, Transmission & Interties
Digging deep on the NDP’s “Grid & Growth” plan for Saskatchewan’ electrical grid, Part 4: Governance, Labour, Carbon Taxes & Rates
SaskPower minister responds to NDP Grid and Growth Plan
Also:
SaskPower and Bruce Power sign memorandum of understanding to inform Saskatchewan large reactor technology assessment
Frontier Centre for Public Policy: Lee Harding: Canada is losing billions by holding back its oil and gas industry
People got schooled
Op-Ed: Del Mondor: Well…that was an interesting 39 days of people finding out about the Strait of Hormuz
Please name the last wind farm to do this:
Cenovus Energy Invests $2 Million in Lakeland College
Sask NDP’s big plan for the electrical grid: Hint – lots of wind and solar, and natural gas
I spent 11 hours working on this story, which I broke into four parts. These are the first two, the next two will come out early next week.
The NDP again want to see coal-fired power go away, “as practical.” The want to convert coal plants to natural gas, even though Saskatchewan has lots of coal but not much in the way of natural gas anymore. We drilled ten gas wells over the last decade, and Alberta did that many by noon today.
There is of course the obligatory massive buildout of wind and solar, and storage. And just coincidentally, three hours after the press conference, wind output in Alberta fell to next to nothing, again.
Digging deep on the NDP’s “Grid & Growth” plan for Saskatchewan’ electrical grid, Part 1
NDP want to increase net-metering rate
Also:
Jim Warren: A History of Oil Production and Price Crises 1973-1991
Circling The Drain
Cushion the blow? That sounds like the Feds will hand out free Squishmallows at the gas pumps. Could’ve had some pipelines, but it’s getting a bit late even for that. An end to the industrial carbon tax would help, but I’m not holding my breath.
Oil prices have surged since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, averaging more than $1.80 per litre across Canada today, compared with about $1.32 a year ago.
Carney says his government wants to help “cushion the blow” for Canadians.
What’s good for the East is not for the West
Tammy Nemeth & Ron Wallace: Two standards for one Canada
Another tale of what’s good for Eastern Canada differs significantly from what’s allowed for Western Canada.
Energy Realities Podcast: The World On Edge Fuel Rationing Begining
Wildcatting in Greenland. Seriously
Stampede Drilling is going to wildcat in Greenland – and that’s no joke
Stampede Drilling, originally founded in Estevan, is sending a drilling rig to Greenland, yes, Greenland, to drill for oil. This is about as wildcat as you can possibly get, in one of the most inaccessible and hostile places on the planet.
This is NOT an April Fool’s joke, either.
(For those unfamiliar with the term, wildcatting means drilling for oil or gas in an area not previously developed. It’s a highly risky venture.) https://glossary.slb.com/terms/w/wildcat
I Wish I Owned All The Oil Companies In The World
The coal plan
The Saskatchewan coal refurbishment plan, laid out by year until 2035.
This is the most detail I’ve seen so far, laying out expected cost per unit, and a year-by-year plan to rebuild them. And I go into some detail into how much cheaper this would be than building new natural gas-fired power plants. It’s a lot.
An energy crisis is materializing around the world
On coal refurbishments: NDP focus on cost, Sask Party focus on reliability
The Iran War is causing an energy crisis: Doomberg on Decouple and Soar Financially
Y2Kyoto: Blunder Down Under
Turns out, net zero was easier to reach than anyone dared dream: Australia has 403 billion barrels of shale oil — 17.5 billion of which is immediately recoverable. But it banned fracking. So now it’s begging for diesel from countries that don’t have a gallon to spare 🤡
Mais oui, it was finalement, euh, within zee reach, non? French energy giant TotalEnergies says it will no longer aim to reach net zero emission targets by 2050
More: I’m out of diesel. All the farmers are out of diesel.
Ouch
Brian Zinchuk: Did the Multi-Lateral Well Program shoot ourselves in the foot when it comes to provincial revenues?
Also, Decouple Media: The Reactor Canada Forgot How to Sell
There’s No Business Case For LNG Exports
Where Europe gets its gas.
Ezra Levant with Lorne Gunter: Why Are Liberals Still Destroying Canada’s Energy Industry Despite Their Promises?
Thank You For Your Attention To This Matter
Let's unpack this..
What if the White House has no intention of reopening the Strait of Hormuz?
What if this war is really about ships & tariffs?
I had a long discussion with senior DOE official yesterday on background. I can’t share any details but it’s clear everyone’s… https://t.co/DCP0uw7C4E
— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) March 18, 2026
Coal three ways – four, actually
Three in-depth pieces on coal-fired power today:
NDP say coal refurbishment will double electricity rates by 2050, prefer natural gas and renewables instead
NDP analysis of coal refurbishment and its impact on rates, in depth
SaskPower Minister responds to NDP study on refurbishing coal and its impact on rates
In cased you missed this major related story on Monday:
BREAKING: Data centre hinges on dispatchable baseload power, including coal refurbishment
I would like to point out that the Leader Post, CTV and CBC failed to mention, or perhaps even realize, that it will be coal powering that new data centre in Regina. Where did they think that power is going to come from? I know! Solar, at night!
BREAKING: Data centre hinges on coal power
BREAKING: Data centre hinges on dispatchable baseload power, including coal refurbishment. Without coal power, it’s unlikely this would be happening.
Also, I will be posting for tomorrow morning two in-depth stories on the NDP’s study into the impact of coal refurbishment on SaskPower rates.
Could Iran be the next “Forever War?”
Weekend Watch: The Iran War Expert: I Simulated The Iran War for 20 Years. Here’s What Happens Next.
While watching this, consider if the Iran War does become a forever war, what will it’s impact be on oil production, delivery through the Strait of Hormuz or lack thereof, the world economy, Canadian and Saskatchewan oil production could be profound and last years? Could this lead to a global recession, but good times for our oilpatch? Remember the $147 WTI barrel of July, 2008, led to the global financial crisis that September. Some of us are still bearing the scars of that.
I know I am.
The case for Westinghouse reactors, LNG, black mark and Timbits
Saskatchewan is the battleground between the AtkinsRealis (SNC-Lavalin/former AECL) CANDU reactor and the Cameco/Brookfield-owned Westinghouse AP1000 reactor. I’d digging as deep as I can to provide context for Saskatchewan decision makers who will be making this decision. In recent weeks I had two podcasts on the CANDU. This is the first on the Westinghouse. What’s really significant here is the Westinghouse ownership is now fully Canadian companies, even though the design is American. And in November or so, Trump’s administration said they’d build 10 of them.
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 31: Dr. Grant Isaac, Pres. & COO of Cameco on SK buying Westinghouse reactors. There were technical difficulties which shortened our time, so we’re going to take another run at it in the near future.
Also:
This is a really good discussion on LNG:
Decouple Media: The Terrible, No Good week for LNG
Black mark on industry (I hate it when this happens):
Alberta landowners take stand over years of missed payments by delinquent oil company
It turns out Pipeline Online isn’t the only one to use a Timbit as a unit of monetary measure. Maybe they got the idea from Pipeline Online? Here’s the Canadian Press story:
What will the carbon price cost the oilsands? A Timbit per barrel, one analysis says
Place your bets!
Brian Zinchuk: Place your bets! What will the oil price be due to the Iran war?
I’m guessing oil prices are going to shoot up really high, in short order.
I just got in my inbox this morning:
- QatarEnergy halts LNG production at the world’s largest plant
- European gas prices up 48% from Friday levels
- No LNG vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz
- Around 20% of global LNG supply effectively cut off
But there was “No business case” for Canadian LNG. Or Energy East, for that matter.
Also:
AtkinsRéalis’ Case for CANDU Part 2: A Canada-wide fleet purchase?
On the topic of nuclear power: Mike Harris, former premier of Ontario, will be talking nuclear power generation on the Pipeline Online Podcast on Tues., Mar. 3, at 10 a.m. Join us live on X at https://x.com/Pipeline_Online. I plan on asking about the big picture considerations on nuclear power.
New Rules
A North Dakota judge has said he will order Greenpeace to pay damages expected to total $345 million in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline from nearly a decade ago, a figure the environmental group contends it cannot pay.
In court papers filed Tuesday, Judge James Gion said he would sign an order requiring several Greenpeace entities to pay the judgment to pipeline company Energy Transfer. He set that amount at $345 million last year in a decision that reduced a jury’s damages by about half, but his latest filing didn’t specify a final amount.
The long-awaited order is expected to launch an appeal process in the North Dakota Supreme Court from both sides.
Last year, a nine-person jury found Netherlands-based Greenpeace International, Greenpeace USA and funding arm Greenpeace Fund Inc. liable for defamation and other claims brought by Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access.