Two days before Alberta is to lift its renewables pause, wind output falls to zero. Real reliable, that wind.
So they’ve built 45 wind farms so far, and they, in total, produced zero power. If they built 450, would that solve the problem?
And no, they’re not built with taxpayer dollars. But many are built for credits of all sorts.
While voicing its opposition to federal oil and gas emissions caps, Saskatchewan goes to Houston to seek investment
Saskatchewan’s letter to Guilbeault opposing oil and gas emissions cap.
Saskatchewan’s letter to Guilbeault opposing Methane 75 emissions.
Danielle Smith goes all-in on revitalized sovereign wealth fund for Alberta. Saskatchewan had one, once, but that was 32 years ago. Details in story.
Quick Dick McDick: Climate Cult Megaspecial You gotta be $#!++!\ me
He even references “climate cult,” my favourite SDA category!
CJME/CKOM radio host Evan Bray visits the Estevan coal mine, and much learning ensues
This video series is a spectacular take on many of the energy issues of the day. It starts with the February, 2021, Texas blackouts, and goes on to tackle renewable power in the form of wind and solar. It doesn’t speak too fondly of coal, but goes broadly into the adoption of nuclear power. Canada and its experience with nuclear figures heavily into this series, including the influence of Dr. Chris Keefer, a Toronto ER physician who had lead the crusade to bring nuclear power back to the fore. And the series gets into why nuclear all of a sudden is in a renaissance after decades of being in the dumps.
This applies directly to Saskatchewan, where just last week, SaskPower inked a deal with GE Hitachi Canada to continue the development path of small modular reactors. And in that press conference, SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya, when asked by Pipeline Online how many reactors we’re going to build, said Saskatchewan’s grid is expected to grow from 5,400 megawatts currently to 13,000 to 15,000 megawatts by 2050. That’s about 2.5x what it is now. And nuclear appears like it’s going to play a huge part in that. So the issues presented in this series are very topical for this province.
Juice really highlights a lot of the issues Pipeline Online has been focusing on for the last two years. In particular, reliability trumps all, and wind and solar can only be relied upon to be utterly unreliable.
I strongly suggest anyone in the decision chain of Saskatchewan going nuclear – all MLAs, including cabinet and opposition, all executives, board and management of SaskPower, and union leadership and membership, take the time to watch this at some point in the near future. This is the reality Saskatchewan is rapidly heading towards.
This series was put together by Robert Bryce and Tyson Culver. Bryce one of the most astute energy analysts out there. You can follow his Substack at https://robertbryce.substack.com/
This was originally a feature, but broken up into manageable chunks and posted for free on YouTube. Each episode is around 22 minutes long. It’s definitely worth watching all five. All five videos are in the story link above.
It’s starting to get cold out. The sun was down and Alberta’s wind power generation fell to next to nothing last night – less than half a per cent capacity.
Meanwhile in Saskatchewan, we’ve had several days of minimal wind power generation.
In other news, they’ve started to bring in floating accommodations for the staff to build the Woodfibre LNG facility.
And Precision Drilling meets debt reduction goal, on track to repay $500 million by 2025.
It wasn’t that long ago North Dakota was the second-largest oil producing state. New Mexico has since eclipsed them, and the money is rolling in. What to do, what to do? (Gee, what could we do with more oil production?
Meanwhile, German farmers aren’t taking too kindly to carbon taxes on diesel. But how are they supposed to save the planet and feed the people, too?
Wind power flatlined in Saskatchewan on Jan. 2, after days of strong winds. Flatlined, as in zero power, at night, so no solar, either.
Zero reliability, this wind thing. And I had to start wearing my parka this week, too.
Put our trust in wind, and we’ll all freeze. In the dark.
Also, switching to third person:
Pipeline Online editor and owner Brian Zinchuk is back on the air with CJME/CKOM’s Evan Bray Show. He was on the air for a full hour on Wednesday, Jan. 3. Here’s the podcast of that appearance, including responses to several calls. One was on whether or not the Trans Mountain Expansion will ever be finished. (With the ads and news breaks removed, it’s only 35 minutes).
Op-Ed: Ruthless, reckless, damaging: the Hon. Steven Guilbeault is MLI’s Policy-maker of the year. Pipeline Online would agree.
So long, carbon tax on home heating in Saskatchewan!
And that’s what my dad, an 80-year-old retired farmer pensioner, paid in carbon tax last January, when it was still $50/tonne. And April 1, it will be $80 per tonne. How the hell is he supposed to make those payments on the carbon tax? Just not eat? Thankfully, we removed the shop heating, so that will make a huge difference. Now the neighbour gets to deal with that.
“We reached a historic consensus to move away from fossil fuels in energy systems,” Guilbeault’s statement on the conclusion of COP28, verbatim.
And the Canadian Press version:
Guilbeault hails ‘monumental’ COP28 deal, others warn of ‘dangerous distractions’
Also:
COP28 Agreement Signals “Beginning of the End” of the Fossil Fuel Era: the verbatim press release
And the conclusion from yesterday’s op-ed:
Op-Ed: Deidra Garyk: The Impact of ESG on the Energy Sector, Part 2
And since it’s the Christmas season, and Die Hard IS a Christmas movie, here’s a little Hans Gruber. Notice any resemblance to anyone? And if you don’t think Die Hard is a Christmas movie, fight me! Yippee Kai Yay, …
My thoughts on the current situation at #COP28, and why we must deliver on a solid agreement. pic.twitter.com/Uq0U4mfabA
— Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) December 12, 2023
Feds “focused on targeting the shutdown of a complete industry, regardless of whether they’re going to meet their emissions targets or not,” says Saskatchewan Premier Moe in Dubai
Pipeline Online speaks with Premier Scott Moe at conclusion of Dubai COP28 trip. (Another reporter asked questions, too, like do you believe the planet is warming…?
20 of 42 solar facilities, 30 of 44 wind facilities in Alberta produce no power at noon on Friday
Canada introduces framework to cap greenhouse gas pollution from oil and gas sector: verbatim
From Canadian Press:
Cap on greenhouse gas emissions singles out Alberta, Premier Smith says
Oil and gas sector warns emissions cap could lead to production curtailments
So says the feds. Because of course it is. Thanks, Guilbeault and Wilkinson.
Oh, and the country with the largest oil reserves in the world is a failing state because of two decades of socialism. So what are they going to do? Invade their neighbour, to grab more oil. We don’t get a lot of nation-state wars and invasions in this hemisphere, but we might see one with days.
Guyana’s president says his country is preparing to defend itself from Venezuela over disputed area
And for something completely different,
(Yes, I know the graphic says 32nd year. It was originally published 6 years ago, and as updated, as it still applies today. No aircraft carrier for me, or likely you, either. But you know you wanted one.)
Federal and Nova Scotia governments kill offshore petroleum project in name of “clean energy”. No more gas development. Don’t even try. But wind? You betcha.
And here’s an analysis of why. It has a lot to do with the fact Nova Scotia can still pay for its hospitals with natural gas money, just natural gas produced in Alberta and Saskatchewan. And it has more to do with Guilbeault announcing a defacto production cap by banning venting and flaring.
And along the topic of the undead, the federal regulator still isn’t done with stretching out the Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline. What’s another $200 million per month delay?
As a side note, two years ago I ran into the consultant whose job it was to shut down, abandon and clean up this project. He was the company man looking after the drilling of the first lithium well in Canada, near Torquay, Saskatchewan. I never got around to writing a story about it, dammit. Not enough hours in the day.
And if anyone feels like asking CJME/CKOM why Zinchuk isn’t scheduled to do his regular energy spot the first Wednesday of the month, as he did with Gormley:
Text
Cutting methane is one of the most cost-effective & impactful actions to tackle the climate crisis.
We announced strengthened methane regulations from the oil & gas sector to reach 75% less methane emissions by 2030, aligned with the U.S.https://t.co/FRw7N8oD9u#COP28 pic.twitter.com/5Zw7dyHsHz
— Steven Guilbeault (@s_guilbeault) December 4, 2023
Guilbeault’s latest application of a knee to the neck of the oil and gas industry in Canada:
Canada proposes new methane emissions rules for oil-and-gas sector
To which Saskatchewan responds:
‘A production cap by default’: Sask gov’t reacts to Guilbeault’s proposed methane regulations.
Ever hear about the Output Based Pricing? It’s basically a third form of carbon tax. Well, we’re going to use its proceeds to build reactors.
Saskatchewan to use Output Based Pricing to fund small modular reactor
In related news, in case you missed it Sunday night because I messed up my scheduling, a great column on Saskatchewan telling the feds to FU on the carbon tax on home heating:
COP28: Saskatchewan, and over 50 companies and organizations, will be in the room where it happens
No carbon tax on electrical home heat from SaskPower, says Moe
Wind drops to 0.9% output in Alberta on Thursday. Again.
Shipper costs to rise as regulator approves preliminary interim Trans Mountain tolls
Trudeau continues on his billions for batteries announcement track. This time, Maple Ridge, B.C. Maybe he ran out of places in Ontario and Quebec?
And Greta pleads not guilty to protest-related charges. Because of course, she did. Everything she does is for the good of the planet, after all.
Crescent Point Energy increases in size by a third with purchase of Montney player Hammerhead Energy Inc. for $2.55 billion. The company is in the hunt again, but its focus is Alberta, not Saskatchewan.
This is significant news. I’ve been saying for a while that Crescent Point has lost interest in Saskatchewan, and any day now we can expect the company to sell off its assets here. Note that both Shaunavon and Weyburn have rinks called “Crescent Point Place” and the lounge at the Estevan rink is similarly named. I pointed out in the story the company for a brief time was Saskatchewan’s largest oil producer. They did over 20 acquisitions (actually closer to 30, I believe), most of them in Saskatchewan, creating many millionaires and making a lot of people rich. But these days it is readily apparent their interest is elsewhere. The only references to Saskatchewan were, at the top of the list of highlights, that this deal “Transforms company into a Montney and Kaybob Duvernay focused E&P with complementary long-cycle assets in Saskatchewan.”
Also noteworthy – with this announcement they are increasing the Alberta proportion of their capital expenditure to 80%, up from the 70% from just a few weeks ago. It wasn’t that long ago, it was more like 95% in Saskatchewan.
So if you want to know why our drilling rig count is down so much, why $80 to $90 oil doesn’t have activity shooting up in this province – here’s your answer.
Also, Guilbeault says no more carbon price carve outs on his watch, as Tory motion fails.
And some nutjobs attacked a painting, in London, again. But since there’s glass over paintings now to protect them from paint, these folks used hammers.
If someone’s going to make billions in the lithium world, maybe we in Saskatchewan should put some of that in our pocket. One of the three active lithium explorers in Saskatchewan is moving closer to commercialization. This is a video I did showing what’s going on. Lots of cool shots of earthmovers.
University of Regina professor Jim Warren writes about a wave of backlash against unaffordable climate change initiatives around the world. And he wrote this before Prime Minister Trudeau decided some are more equal than others when it comes to carbon taxes on home heating (previously posted).
The Energy Transition Podcast discusses big oil mergers today.
If you haven’t been paying attention, South Africa is falling apart. The reasons are many and various. But a principal factor is an increasingly unreliable power grid leading to up to a third of the grid being in the dark at any one time.
This is why Pipeline Online has been covering the reliability of the Canadian electrical grid with such intensity. Politicians talk about “reliability, sustainability and affordability of the electrical grid.” As these videos outline in great detail, when reliability collapses, nothing else matters. South Africa has at times one third of its grid in rolling blackout. Everything from food preservation to industrial factories to medical operations ends up in peril.
The minute any grid operator, power generator, or government starts talking about “load shedding,” things are going to hell in a handbasket in a hurry.
And as a reminder, the Alberta grid had eight “grid alerts” in the last year, each time when wind and or solar power generation failed. Alberta is a jurisdiction that has more coal, oil, and gas than God, because God gave all of his to Alberta. The only way this could happen is sheer and utter incompetence. You might consider that getting rid of reliable and cheap coal-fired power generation in favour of more and more wind and solar power might be indicative of this. And in the last few days, Alberta brought on another 297 megawatt wind farm, bringing their total wind generation to 4,150 megawatts. Two years ago, it was closer to 2700 megawatts.
Here’s a couple recent videos on YouTube discussing the ever-worsening plight of South Africa.