Tag: coal

Guilbeault lights a firestorm

Climate Cult 66 Comments

There’s a truism in politics: “All politics is local.” And there’s nothing more local than the road full of potholes in front of your house. But Minster of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, supposedly speaking on behalf of the entire federal government, seems to think we don’t need any more roads. The reaction was fast and furious.

Liberals rebrand carbon-price rebates in bid to make policy more palatable

The Saskatchewan and Alberta NDP distance themselves from their federal brethren regarding banning promotion of oil and gas.

Also regarding the NDP’s banning everything, because, why not?

NDP to move bill calling for ban of coal exports as Canadian output booms

The nuclear renaissance coming to Saskatchewan

Climate Cult 13 Comments

Weekend Watch: Juice: Power, Politics & the Grid

 

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.

Notley takes credit for getting rid of coal power, days after the lights almost went out

Climate Cult 36 Comments
After a weekend of power shortages, Notley takes credit for getting rid of coal-fired power and building wind and solar. Because of course she did. Not sure when it was filmed, but there wasn’t a hint of shame that she was largely the cause of what happened over the weekend.

 
Also: Brian Crossman: Magic Eight Ball prediction edition for 2024. “Will the current Prime Minister continue to be a dumpster fire?” “SIGNS POINT TO YES.”

Pour on a little more coal, boys!

Climate Cult 23 Comments
Boundary Dam Power Station last night

The past weekend proved to be a close-run thing for the Alberta electrical grid, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe is making statements resolving he won’t allow that to happen here.

Specifically, after having nearly completely divested itself of coal-fired power production, Alberta’s dramatic buildout of wind and solar proved impossible to keep the lights on in that province when the chips were down and temperatures hit -35 C, or worse.

Alberta’s close brush with possible rolling blackouts stiffens Moe’s resolve to keep the lights on. On Monday, he announced that SaskPower has relit a shuttered coal unit near Estevan, one the feds had supposedly forced to retire Dec. 31, 2021.

Also note: Saskatchewan has about a million cars registered. So a good bet is Alberta probably has four million. What would have happened if four million EVs were all plugged in last weekend?

If you missed them, these five stories, in order, chronicle what happened in Alberta.

Most of Alberta’s wind fleet slowly shut down Thursday night, but not for lack of wind

Grid Alert 1:

Alberta goes under grid alert for just under 5 hours on Jan. 12

Grid Alert 2:

Alberta’s electrical grid stood at the brink of blackouts Jan. 13, before pulling back in the nick of time

Grid Alert 3:

Alberta goes into Round 3, with its third electrical grid alert in three days

Grid Alert 4:

Round 4: Alberta declares fourth electrical grid alert in 4 days, second in 17 hours

So long carbon tax!

Climate Cult 27 Comments

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.

Unreliable power a leading factor in South Africa’s demise

Climate Cult 26 Comments

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.

How many nukes SaskPower is looking at, and switching from coal to natural gas

Climate Cult youmightbeinsaskatchewan 4 Comments

SaskPower president and CEO Rupen Pandya was in Estevan on Monday, and there’s a lot to unpack from that. He told city council how many reactors are being considered at Estevan and Elbow (SaskPower is currently planning for their first 2). And converting Estevan area power stations to natural gas could allow us to test carbon capture on natural gas exhaust. But that would mean the end of coal at Estevan.

SaskPower and Whitecap strike deal on CO2 sale and purchase

Climate Cult 21 Comments

Good news for Weyburn Unit, Whitecap, SaskPower, Weyburn and Estevan:

Whitecap Resources to buy CO2 from SaskPower until 2035, providing market for SaskPower’s BD3.

I did some in-depth analysis on the broader picture on all this, especially how carbon pricing in the US and Canada affect the economics.

Remember, the CO2 is used for enhanced oil recovery, dramatically extending the life of an oilfield that has now been producing over 65 years. And FYI, my kid found work with a oilfield company that’s worked in the Weyburn Unit for 62 years, give or take. I hope she can make a career there as a heavy duty mechanic.

A while ago I pointed out on Gormley that lower oil prices were definitely going to have an impact on Saskatchewan’s finances. I was right, as finances are down a half billion from budget.

Also, the feds just dished out $30 million for 1500 EV chargers in Quebec. Because of course they did.

So let’s see here, the federal government, with our tax dollars, have dished out money for EV manufacturers, battery plants, rebates on the EVs themselves, and now chargers. Is there anything they’ve missed? Maybe you get a car! And you get a car! Might have to do a column on this.

And, on the topic of the feds, after slow walking its construction for years, all of a sudden there’s a serious panic to get the Trans Mountain Pipeline complete and operating. Well, from what I understand, good luck with that.

Demanding the impossible on power generation

Climate Cult 37 Comments
Boundary Dam Unit 3 capture plant. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

Are the federal Clean Electricity Standards, brought in by Steven Guilbeault and Jonathan Wilkinson, impossible to meet? Pipeline Online asked SaskPower.

“The CER would require SaskPower to effectively rebuild our entire power system, through retiring the majority of our existing generating units and replacing them with new, ultra-low emitting units or non-emitting energy sources, while also growing the system to support expanding electricity needs that are expected to support growing demand for clean electricity for industrial needs, transportation, increased customer participation and other needs.”

Clean Electricity Regulations released: carbon capture or bust

Climate Cult 33 Comments
Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Luke Barber, Chief Operating Officer, University of Toronto and Scott Hendershot, Senior Manager, Sustainability Office, University of Toronto, standing together on a rooftop covered in solar panels. Government of Canada handout

Clean Electricity Regulations released: carbon capture needed for continued fossil fuel power generation. #Saskatchewan will not “defy the laws of thermodynamics,” says Premier Scott Moe.

I still need to dig deep into this. I’ve sent a list of questions to SaskPower and the provincial government seeking response next week, as this dropped just as we’re packing to head to the cabin. Because of course they would release it during the dog days of August.

Note: these regulations expect the electrical grid demand to grow by 2.5x in 26 years, three months and 21 days. Good luck with that. Expect a column next week.

Those carbon capture people keep coming back to Saskatchewan

Climate Cult youmightbeinsaskatchewan 34 Comments
That’s a whole lot of PhD students at Boundary Dam. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

Why? Because we are the leaders, worldwide. Every second year the IEAGHG summer school returns to Regina and Estevan, because we’ve got the most significant, commercial-scale carbon capture facility on a coal plant in the world, and we’ve learned a lot from it. That’s from the general manager of the IEAGHG.

Say what you want about carbon capture and storage, but Saskatchewan’s a big deal in this field.

I also asked him about when the glaciers covered Canada, and it wasn’t my SUV or the two coal fire power plants near my house that caused them to melt.

Provinces have a say: Eyre responds to Wilkinson’s “just transition”

Climate Cult 19 Comments

Not so fast, we have a say in all this “just transition” stuff, says Saskatchewan.

Also, natural resources minister has faith electric tractors are coming. The local Kipling reporter asked about this, and it’s awesome. I wonder where, and when they will charge said tractors? Maybe some booster cables at the nearest power pole in the middle of a field?

One last thing: I’m live on Gormley at 10:06 a.m. Saskatchewan time today

The “just transition” report is nothing short of the utter transformation of Canada

Climate Cult Drill, Baby, Drill 59 Comments

Entitled “Creating a Fair and Equitable Energy Transformation,” The 56 page report outlines nothing short of the utter transformation of Canada, its economy and workforce, by way of transitioning away from fossil fuels to a largely electric economy, with the possibility of hydrogen usage as well. In doing so it means to largely do away with the fossil fuel industry which is one of Canada’s largest industries and contributors to GDP, exports and wealth. The report provides recommendations as to what to do with the people involved in that industry, but not so much the companies who employ them, create those jobs or that wealth.

On Thursday, I’ll have the detailed Conservative response from MP Shannon Stubbs.

The world comes to Saskatchewan to discuss carbon capture international standards

Climate Cult youmightbeinsaskatchewan 26 Comments
Bob Van Voorhees represented ANSI and the United States. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

The irony is the current federal government wants to shut this all down, because coal is evil.

In the meantime, Saskatchewan – Regina, Estevan and Weyburn – showed off its decades of experience to worldwide experts on carbon capture, utilization and storage as they set international standards for the same.

Reliability of the electrical grid is everything.

Climate Cult youmightbeinsaskatchewan 32 Comments

Without it, nothing else matters.

I wrote this column nearly two weeks ago, and only shared it this morning. But it turns out this is playing out in real time, as I’m working on a big story about how SaskPower’s Poplar River Power Station is down, thus putting us out nearly 600 megawatts. This happened just as demand is spiking for air conditioning due to +30 temps this week. As a result, SaskPower is scrambling to reduce its internal demand, doing something called “load shedding.” Watch for that story once I’ve got it together.

Quick Dick McDick tells Steven Guilbeault to get bent

Baiting The Left Climate Cult youmightbeinsaskatchewan 20 Comments

Saskatchewan’s own Quick Dick McDick offers his take on federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault. He talks about the implicit threat of criminal sanctions for keeping the power on, and how Guilbeault should know a thing or two about wearing handcuffs. Quick Dick picks up on a lot of the stuff I’ve been writing about recently.

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