Saskatchewan’s large and small nuclear: SaskPower Minister Jeremy Harrison on Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 46
On Sept 29, Premier Scott Moe announced Saskatchewan’s large-scale nuclear power ambitions. Here we dig down with Minister of Crown Investments Corp. and Minister Responsible for SaskPower Jeremy Harrison on nuclear power, coal refurbishments, natural gas and more.
Coal injunction dismissed by Court of Appeal, another defeat for the climate crusading counselor. A five-time failed political candidate, this lawyer repeatedly has tried to use youth and an “eclectic crew,” as one judge called it, to achieve with the courts what he has failed to at the ballot box.
Also
Exploratory licenses take off in October Crown land sale
Jim Warren: China’s solar energy myth: Environmentalists and journalists aren’t telling the whole story
Ottawa announces $100 million toward Nova Scotia offshore wind project
EverWind says $10B AI data centre proposal largest private investment in N.S. history
Hitachi announces $479M plan to build transformer insulation factory in London, Ont.
FYI I am working on that coal injunction story from a few weeks ago. The court’s ruling is expected Monday. This is what led up to it. Watch for it.
Brian Zinchuk: Thank you for five years of Pipeline Online, with many more on the horizon
More on nuclear, with more to come:
Details on that Korean/US deal for the same model of Westinghouse reactors Sask is considering
SaskPower community outreach session on SMR site selection
Two CANDU models offered to SaskPower for large nuclear consideration
Lloydminster was surprised to hear large reactors may be coming their way
Tim Gitzel: Cameco is “ready for this day” announcing large nuclear for Saskatchewan
Also:
Weekend Watch: How Coal is Turned Into Electricity
This should be included as a required training video for all SaskPower and Crown Investments Corp. staff, as well as all MLAs.
I’ve written five stories thus far on the major announcement on Sept. 29 that Saskatchewan intends on building large scale, 1000 megawatt nuclear reactors in northwest Saskatchewan. I have at least another five to go. Here’s the first tranche, with the initial piece being the big lead.
Lead:
Two large reactors in the NW, two SMRs in the SE: Moe lays out Saskatchewan’s nuclear plans
Scott Moe: “Today, we are announcing plans to build about 2,600 megawatts of nuclear generation by the year 2050”
How are we going to put together a supply chain and workforce for building nuclear?
Sheldon Wuttunee on nuclear power: “What a great opportunity to work together”
Carla Beck: Our team supports nuclear power … Saskatchewan people deserve to see the full plan
ALSO:
Pipeline Online Podcast Ep 45: Heather Exner-Pirot on major pipeline and nuclear developments
QuickQuotes: Reaction to the Pacific Link pipeline project
Lithium in SK, Part 44: Feds invest into Prairie Lithium project
Premier Scott Moe talks a lot about increasing oil production from 450,000 barrels per day to 600,000. It looks like Strathcona Resources will be a huge part of that increast (about a third), if they are successful in their plans. And that’s all in northwest Saskatchewan.
Strathcona Resources opens Meota Central SAGD facility, with big plans for more to come
Also, some pieces from Canadian Press on the new Build Canada Strong Act:
Liberals table bill to speed up major project approvals, avert labour disruptions
Five things to know about the Liberals’ new Building Canada Strong Act
And some more on the whole potash thing:
Moe warns ‘blood potash’ part of Trump’s planned deal with Belarus to thwart Canada
Wanna build a data centre in Saskatchewan? Be Canadian, and bring your own power.
While the backlash has been growing, anyone who uses their cellphone for Google, Facebook, Twitter, Gmail or nearly any other major app is, in fact, using a data centre. The online protests about data centre quite literally use data centres to make their posts. If you use a smartphone, you are using data centres.
What does the mammoth Newfoundland/Quebec hydro and wind deal mean for Saskatchewan’s nuclear ambitions?
NDP claim coal refurbishments will cost even more, while SaskPower minister tours Boundary Dam and Estevan mine
On a day when the Minister Responsible for SaskPower was touring the work done on the coal-fired Boundary Dam Power Station Unit 4 and the nearby Estevan coal mine, the Saskatchewan NDP was quoting another number, their highest yet, as an estimated cost of the coal refurbishments. But what are those numbers based on?
Pipeline Online digs into that analysis, and finds the scenarios each to have significant flaws.
Also:
Jim Warren: Why the biggest oil supply crisis in history hasn’t produced the highest crude prices in recent history
RM of Griffin approves Seven Stars, the contentious Weyburn wind project
TMX 2? Trans Mountain 3? West Coast Pipeline to parallel existing Trans Mountain route, foregoing northern ports. In a case where going with the devil you know, the newly proposed West Coast Pipeline is expected to follow most of the Trans Mountain Pipeline right of way – you know, the one that saw TMX go from $7.5 billion to around $34 billion.
Yes, I did stay up until 5 a.m. writing this.
Mark Carney’s video: Forward Guidance: Canada’s Energy Future
If you listen to the end, you’ll hear Carney essentially say Trudeau’s policies don’t work today.
Electrical intertie announcement indicates Saskatchewan will be building large reactors, and powering MB and SK
The implications for Saskatchewan, Estevan and even Weyburn are massive. I do an analysis at the tail end of the piece.
Also:
Jim Warren: Canada’s Liberals—dumber than Democrats on climate policy
Former government net-zero adviser ‘disappointed’ by Carney’s commitment to climate
Pipeline Online Podcast, Ep. 37: Andrew Scheer, federal energy update
Another European utility looks to lock down supply from Ksi Lisims LNG
The World Turned Upside Down: Coal workers go to Legislature to take issue with NDP’s stance on coal
In the musical Hamilton, there’s part of a song that goes, “The World Turned Upside Down.” And one could be forgiven for thinking that, when it comes to politics, unions, and power generation in Saskatchewan.
In subsequent press scrums, 26 union members from two unions stood behind the SaskPower minister, but none stood behind NDP SaskPower critic.
NDP calls for apples-to-apples comparison, but when that’s done, their coal costs mirror the government’s
Usually when the public galleries of the legislature are filled with union members, it’s almost always because they’re not happy with the government. But on May 11, 26 union members and two mayors were there not to take issue with the government, but with the opposition.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers respond to NDP coal position: “A deliberate misrepresentation of costs”
It turns out if the NDP wants your job to disappear, they don’t get your support. Imagine that? As in, if they want your house to lose half or more of its value, you to lose your job, and would rather spend money on gas from Alberta or wind and solar, what would you think?
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Wait, isn’t this how it was done before?
Feds want pipeline projects reviewed by energy regulator instead of impact agency
Also
Pipeline company Enbridge unfazed by rival oil shipping projects
Now Hiring: Project Greenland. “Stampede Drilling Inc. is headed north for Project Greenland, part of a major Arctic drilling campaign, and we’re looking for a tough, experienced crew ready to take on the cold and get the job done right.”
If this makes you think of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s famous ad, I’m with you. That one said, “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.”
*Note – due to a glitch, this is a republished post.
Beck says she misspoke on LNG for power generation, asks about coal refurbishment costs
“Mr. Speaker, I’m going to stand in my place today and do something that is sometimes hard for politicians — particularly, it seems, for the Premier — and I’m going say that when I said LNG, I misspoke. I meant natural gas, Mr. Speaker.” – Carla Beck
Boundary Dam Unit 4 fired up on April 22, and it’s more significant than you might think
Up until now, the coal-fired power refurbishment may have seemed like a lot of talk. On Wednesday, April 22, it became real. And that’s significant for a number of reasons.
Not the least of which is it is in total defiance of federal coal regulations. Saskatchewan is giving Ottawa the bird.
Supreme Court rules for Michigan in its fight to shut down an aging energy pipeline. This pipeline moves a LOT of Saskatchewan oil.
Enbridge gets federal approval for $4B natural gas pipeline expansion in B.C.
What you need to know about the new Enbridge LNG pipeline approval
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says fracking opponents are drowning out other voices