The Coal Injunction, Part 5: Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Citizens for Public Justice, and the conclusion. #saskatchewan #coal
Coal Injunction, Part 2: their arguments against coal
The Coal Injunction, Part 2: Arguments against continued coal use made in injunction filings
A 12-year-old child, a podcaster and a Manitoban as well as Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Citizens for Public Justice have filed for an injunction to stop Saskatchewan’s recently announced plants to rebuild its coal fleet in its tracks. In Part 1, the stage is set. In Part 2, Pipeline Online digs into the legal filing, known as the “orginating application,” itself, laying out their arguments to end coal-fired power generation for good.
Lawfare engaged to kill Saskatchewan coal revival
Pipeline Online does one of its deepest dives yet into the injunction application meant to shut down Saskatchewan’s coal-fired generation fleet, just as this province begins its rebirth. At stake are 1100 jobs, billions of dollars, and keeping 44% of Saskatchewan’s lights on. And just who gets to govern around here, anyhow?
I spent five days working on this five part series which starts Monday. The Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Citizens for Public Justice have put forward a 12-year-old non-binary child from Regina who has been in national headlines now three times in two years (attention seeking, perhaps?) as the Saskatchewan version of Greta Mark II as part of this. And be forewarned, the lawyer who did that said that if anyone said nasty things online about the child he put forward, there could be legal consequences. Is he using the child as bait? I dig into this in Part 3.
The other inviduals are a Saskatoon environmental podcaster who is taking a poli sci degree in her 50s. And the third is a Manitoba farmer who neither lives in Saskatchewan nor is a SaskPower customer.
And it was only at the end of this process I realized the lawyer filing the case has run unsuccessfully for office five times. Is he trying to accomplish through the courts what he failed at the ballot box?
This is lawfare, pure and simple.
I’ll have a piece each day. Watch for it and share if you’re willing.
Minister explains why SK is rebuilding its coal fleet
Saskatchewan is rebuildings its coal fleet. Here’s a chance to hear from Crown Investments Corp and SaskPower Minister Jeremy Harrison explain how this came about. It’s the biggest energy decision in 10 years. If you work in the coal industry in take time this weekend to watch/listen.
Coal in SK may be given new life
Saskatchewan is looking to rejuvenate coal, not abandon it: in-depth with Minister Jeremy Harrison.
If SaskPower carries through with rejuvenating coal, it will save three power plants, two mines, ~1000 jobs and two communities.
The significance of the shift on coal cannot be understated. When SaskPower’s then-CEO Mike Marsh came to Estevan in 2018 to say they would not be installing carbon capture technology on Boundary Dam Units 4 and 5, it wasn’t the obituary for the community, but it sure felt like the cancer diagnosis. And with no talk of carbon capture for Coronach’s Poplar River Power station, it seemed all but certain that town would whither away once the coal plant and related mine shut down by the federally mandated 2030 deadline. The January, 2025, announcement of SaskPower looking to rebuild both Boundary Dam and Poplar River, if carried out, would be a decades-long reprieve for both communities.
To extend the metaphor, effectively Estevan and Coronach just went into chemotherapy, and the results may be positive.
The implications of this change in direction, from the impending death of coal, to its possible rejuvenation, have local, provincial, national and international aspects, detailed in the story.
Watch for the Pipeline Online Podcast, Episode 2, to be broadcast on LinkedIn, Facebook and X at 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24.. Crown Investments Corp Minister Jeremy Harrison is the guest, where we will delve even further into this new direction on coal-fired power generation.
X (works best): https://x.com/Pipeline_Online
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianzinchuk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pipelineonlineca/
It will eventually be posted to YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Clean Electricity Regulations are actually a bait and switch; Weyburn Wind Part 2
Here’s the story on Guilbeault’s updated Clean Electricity Regulations, and it includes an at-length discussion with SaskPower Minister Jeremy Harrison explaining why Saskatchewan is rejecting it.
Here’s the key thing: Other media are acting like this is a win – that the deadline has simply been punted to 2050. Well, I actually read through the regulations and realized it’s a bait and switch. In fact, the regulations include an impossible to meet emissions standard for anything that burns anything by 2035. Even if you put carbon capture on every single natural gas and coal power plant in Saskatchewan and Alberta, if the CCS behaves anything like Boundary Dam 3, you won’t get anywhere close to the new standard of 65 tonnes CO2 per gigawatt-hour. So the federal government slyly let people think they’ve punted, when really they haven’t punted at all. Like Lucy, they’re pulling the football away in 10 years and 12 days. (That’s the amount of time we have to build carbon capture on everything. And even if we do, it won’t be good enough. Good luck with that.)
Enbridge’s Weyburn wind project open house, Part 2: Enbridge’s opening statements
It’s as if I should change the name of the website to SaskPowerOnline.ca. Jeepers – this week is almost all power related.
Cough it up, buddy
This is huge – Alberta wind and solar projects will have to put up the reclamation costs up front before going ahead. Should Saskatchewan do the same? Alberta releases new rules and no-go zones on wind and solar projects.
And the new rules mean when these turbines you see come down at end of life, they likely will not be replaced.
Also:
And now we podcast
Brian Zinchuk on Evan Bray: Elections, pipelines, million barrels, emissions cap and more. Part of the discussion stems from this:
Also: Energy experts think Donald Trump will make tariff exemptions for Canadian oil
Apparently there’s still money to be made in the oilpatch: Suncor to return all excess cash to shareholders after hitting debt target early
What’s a drilling rig doing southeast of Moose Jaw?
What’s a drilling rig doing southeast of Moose Jaw? Drilling a CO2 sequestration well, naturally
And what are going to use that CO2 for, pray tell? Producing more oil, baby! (Well, not the stuff that’s going into this well, but all the CO2 that’s going to go in the pipeline past it. You’ll have to read the story to understand.)
Canada steadfast on climate plan despite Trump re-election: Guilbeault
Good thing oil companies can make money in spike of Guilbeault.
Suncor Energy earnings rise to $2.02 billion in third quarter
Running out the clock
Running out the clock on the federal oil and gas emissions cap: Saskatchewan energy minister
Oil and gas emissions cap and reaction, plus feds want to control radio news now, too
I was on the road all Monday, so I wasn’t able to dig into this as much as I’d like. Hopefully I’ll be able to do more in the coming days.
Guilbeault’s oil and gas emissions cap press release, verbatim
Reaction to Guilbeault’s emissions cap on oil and gas industry, Part 1
Reaction to Guilbeault’s emissions cap on oil and gas industry, Part 2
Canadian Press
Oil, gas companies told to cut emissions by one-third under planned cap
Oh, and here’s a bonus: the federal government wants to now subsidize radio news as well. Why do I hear the Emperor from the Return of the Jedi cackling in my head?
Federal government’s control of media to grow, now seeking to subsidize radio news
Full throated response from petroleum producers on C-59
Surprised no one brought out a pitchfork
Pipeline company comes to oil town to build a wind project, and gets hostile response
You’d have thought they were proposing a pipeline in Nebraska.
This was a very hostile crowd. I’m surprised no one brought out a pitchfork or torch. I’m sure the Enbridge folks figured they were now working for TransCanada, running a Keystone XL open house in the States.
Meanwhile, in Alberta, on Sunday:
That followed this story on Friday which went viral:
Alberta’s wind power flatlines again this week, hitting 1 megawatt out of a capacity of 4748
And if you didn’t see this, it’s worth the hour.
Jordan Peterson Podcast: Danielle Smith on Bill C-59, freedom of speech, CO2, wind, solar and more
Facebook loved it so much, they immediately pulled down the post, claiming it “violated community standards” as spam.
Big fat zero from Alberta’s giant fans on Tuesday
And, as promised yesterday, more on those Clean Electricity Regulations that mean even MORE wind and solar, and no more coal or natural gas without carbon capture.
Clean Electricity Regulations: Cenovus Energy (Detailed, with recommendations)
And maybe Wilkinson thinks aforementioned wind turbines will power all those electric heat pumps, when it’s cold, and when it’s hot. What am I saying? Of course he does.
Liberal energy minister promises ban on oil furnaces for new builds as soon as 2028
Also:
TC Energy’s US$15B Keystone XL claim thrown out by trade tribunal
Steven Guilbeault says so, so it must be true
He even has an economist agreeing with him!
Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault takes to X to explain how pricing on carbon dioxide emissions fixes everything from global warming to health to your pocketbook.
He seems to think there’s a lot of “misinformation about carbon pricing.”
And on that carbon front:
It looks like something’s up. Hearing cancelled for Saskatchewan’s bid to stop federal collection of carbon money
Also:
Frontier Centre for Public Policy: Is hydrogen really the solution?
Clean Electricity Regulations: the fight heats up
Three stories in the ongoing Clean Electricity Regulations saga, more to come.
Guilbeault counters Saskatchewan’s defiance of Clean Electricity Regulations, Eyre fires back
Sask NDP response to Clean Electricity Regulations tribunal report
Clean Electricity Regulations: Longhorn Oil & Gas submission
First implementation of the Sask First Act – Saskatchewan won’t follow Clean Electricity Regulations
For a long time, Premier Scott Moe has been saying it’s impossible to comply with federal regulations regarding getting rid of our fossil-fueled power generation, in the timeline the federal Liberal government wants.
It’s coming to a head.
This is the first action of this type thus far under the Saskatchewan First Act. This is what it was meant for.
If implemented in their current form, the Clean Electricity Regulations mean to all but eliminate the burning of fossil fuels for power generation in 10 years, six months and three days from now. Saskatchewan relies on natural gas and coal to produce the vast majority of its power, up to 88 per cent on some days. And if implemented, these regulations will fundamentally alter Canada and its economy, and affect all of its people in one form or another. It’s one of the most important policy pieces in generations, seeking to remake Canada.
Saskatchewan won’t follow Clean Electricity Regulation, citing Economic Assessment Tribunal report.
Executive summary of the report
The government released all the submissions to the tribunal. I will be reprinting many of them over the coming days, maybe weeks. There’s a lot. And there’s a lot to be said.
Lithium, geothermal, carbon tax, drilling, plastics, loans – a bit of everything
Geothermal project near Estevan has major update, with a greenhouse now in the works to make use of surplus heat that would otherwise go to waste.
First Nation wants voice in plastics treaty. Guess they don’t like plastics.
This might have been posted yesterday. Trudeau calls out Moe on carbon tax fight. (Yes, I use the Canadian Press – as a one man band, I can’t do everything!)
More on carbon tax fight, from Trudeau
Quick Dick McDick puts the old farm truck out to pasture. It makes me sad, because my gas guzzling Canyonero of a Ford Expedition is nearing its end of life, too.
For some reason, this didn’t post yesterday:
And when they’re not working on lithium, ROK Resources plans on six oil wells after breakup
Lithium in SK, Part 28: Hub City Lithium operating direct lithium extraction pilot in Estevan
Trudeau says Saskatchewan to get carbon rebates despite province not paying levies
Freeland says $5 billion just a start for Indigenous loan guarantee program
Minister Guilbeault issues statement on high-level meeting as INC-4 begins, verbatim. This is that plastics ban thing. In Pipeline Online’s never-ending quest to ensure the Canadian Public knows exactly what Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault is telling us on how to save the planet, here is his verbatim statement issued on April 23 about the evils of plastic.
An ‘ambitious’ global plastic treaty demands limits on production, Guilbeault says
Read Minister Guilbeault’s Statement on Canada and @WWF bringing together ministers and high-level representatives in Ottawa ahead of #INC4 to #BeatPlasticPollution: https://t.co/wFyYPeFPuH pic.twitter.com/xa3LZi1Mfy
— Environment Canada (@environmentca) April 23, 2024
To hell with it is “definitely on the table”
Saskatchewan fights back on federal oil and gas emissions cap, Methane 75. Saying “to hell with it” is “definitely on the table,” says minister when asked.
Province invokes Saskatchewan First Act, again, building its case against the federal government’s never-ending smothering greenhouse gas emissions rules, regulations and legislation.
I was up in Saskatoon Monday to cover this important announcement. Saskatchewan’s not going to take it, anymore. Kinda like Twisted Sister. For some reason, I keep referencing that song.
About that walk in the snow… SaskEnergy minister takes a walk in the rain
Justin Trudeau may not have taken a “walk in the snow,” like his father did 40 years ago on this day, but Dustin Duncan took a walk in rain in front of Parliament, and decides we’re not remitting carbon tax to the feds.
This is the guy who, by a recently passed law, gets to be sacrificed on the cross for our carbon tax sins.
(The decision was clearly made before, but it makes good political theatre.)
No forecast for snow in Ottawa today, unfortunately. Maybe the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change changed the climate?