Tag: energy news

Be careful what you wish for, Weyburn

Climate Cult 32 Comments

Brian Zinchuk: In opposing a wind project, Weyburn might want to be careful what they wish for

It was right around the time a man walked up to me, leaned close to my face and asked how much I had been paid to write a story talking about the benefits of the Weyburn wind project that I had an epiphany…

Brian Zinchuk: In opposing a wind project, Weyburn might want to be careful what they wish for

This is the column I referenced in those Weyburn wind stories. While I still very much question wind generation in a macro sense, I definitely had an epiphany when it came to NIMBY and the Weyburn wind project being presented by Enbridge. If an energy project can’t get built by an oil town, what’s going to happen when we want to start building reactors? Or a major pipeline is proposed?

And on Sunday, I stopped at the Bekevar Wind Facility. I posted a few videos from there, which I will eventually post as stories on the site. For the second time in a row, there was zero power being produced as not one turbine turned in the hour or so I was there. The wind was around 2-4 knots, according to weather reports.

Weyburn Wind, Part 4: acreages, wildlife, referendum

Climate Cult 6 Comments

Enbridge’s Weyburn wind project open house, Part 4: Acreages, wildlife, referendum

Here’s Part 4 of the Weyburn Wind saga, focusing on acreages, wildlife and referendum

You might be wondering why I’ve gone so deep into this open house. Here’s the thing – this has been the first opportunity I’ve had to really get into the development of one of these projects, and see and hear the arguments from both sides. Alberta just put its 50th online. Saskatchewan has nine. This would be the 10th. So it’s a chance to really get into the weeds.

The numerous stories I’ve written about wind power to date have almost been exclusively about their reliability or lack thereof, and their impact on a macro scale on grids, power pricing and the like. This development side is a totally different aspect.

Weyburn wind open house, Part 1

Climate Cult 21 Comments

Enbridge’s Weyburn wind project open house, Part 1: Setting the stage

It was a contrite Enbridge which presented a second open house in Weyburn for its planned 200 megawatt wind project, to be located east of the community. The project has seen several revisions, and Enbridge representatives repeatedly spoke about correcting mistakes and working with people affected by the proposed project.

Note: This story ended up being so massive, it needed to be broken up into several parts just to make it manageable and yet still allow a great deal of depth on a topic very important to Weyburn.

On top of that, there is a LOT going on in the power space right now, with the Tuesday release of the revised Clean Electricity Regulations and on the same day as the grand opening of the Great Plains Power Station at Moose Jaw which Pipeline Online attended. There’s a lot of catching up to do, so please bear with me. Here’s Enbridge’s Weyburn wind project open house, Part 1: Setting the stage.

I’ve never seen a multi-billion behemoth like Enbridge be so apologetic for wanting to spend around a third of a billion around a community.

Enbridge folks said “apology” or “apologize” five times, and “sorry” twice. I checked my transcript.

I expect they still feel sore about losing Northern Gateway, where First Nations claimed Enbridge spoke to them like they owned the place. It was clear this was an entirely different approach.

Eastern bastards

Climate Cult 65 Comments

Holy mackerel! This story is well worth reading. The Churchill Falls deal between Quebec and Newfoundland was the most atrocious you could possibly imagine. On Thursday, a deal fixing that was signed.

Quebec and Newfoundland end one of the most bitter energy disputes in Canadian history over the horribly lopsided Churchill Falls deal. Quebec was getting power nearly free, and making billions off it while Newfoundland starved. No more.

FYI, Churchill Falls can produce more power than all of Saskatchewan, if every dam was full, every coal plant running full out, every wind turbine cranking and every natural gas plant humming. The deal that had been in place until 2041 would have had Quebec pay 0.2 cents per kilowatt hour until then. That’s effectively free. This changes all of that.

If Quebec and Newfoundland can make peace on this, maybe some day they’ll allow a pipeline through la belle province? Don’t bet your kids’ college fund on it.

 

Also:

Let those Yankee bastards freeze in the dark?

Ontario mulls U.S. booze ban as Trump brushes off Ford’s threat to cut electricity

That’ll go over well. The 10th Mountain Division will be invading the next day. Their home base is at Fort Drum, New York State. It’s within spitting distance of Kingston, Ont. So, good luck with that.

The case for, yes for, big wind at Weyburn

Climate Cult 38 Comments
Assembly of a wind turbine near Assiniboia, SK, on Jan. 7, 2021. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

I worked on this story for many days with one of the proponents whose family will account for around half of the land assembly for the project. The number was initially a lot higher but the project has been changed and adapted. He has some strong points in favour of wind development, and they should be heard.

This is what they call “journalism,” as in telling multiple sides of a story. And no one else is writing in depth stories like this in Saskatchewan.

That being said, I have another wind story about a great day of wind production in Alberta on Sunday – 74 per cent output. That’s four orders of magnitude better than it was at noon precisely seven days before. But that also caused pool prices to hit zero for 12 hours.

Again, I point out the problem with no one making money is no one is making money. That’s unsustainable. And the proposed reforms in Alberta will make it much worse, by introducing negative pricing. Ridiculous! Nothing with intrinsic value should ever be zero. Ever.

 

 

Climate change warrior shovels quarter billion SaskPower’s way

Climate Cult You Might Be A Liberal 12 Comments
Jonathan Wilkinson near Kipling, announcing $50 million for a wind project in June 2023. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

In Pipeline Online’s continuing mission to ensure we all know exactly what the federal government is telling us on climate change initiatives, this is the verbatim press release from the Government of Canada issued at 18:10 hrs on Dec. 5. Notably, it was not sent out via provincial media releases nor SaskPower’s media releases. And apparently according to the feds, Jansen is a company, not the place the largest mining company in the world, BHP, is building the world’s largest potash mind. Check that out in the opening paragraph.

(You’d think the natural resources minister, and ministry, might be aware of the largest potash mine in the world being built in their country)

The announcement was made by Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson. He and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault are the federal Liberal government’s lead ministers on their numerous and various climate change initiatives. For good measure, we’ve interspersed a healthy dosage of oil and gas ads, that industry that this government’s Bill C-59 is trying to muzzle.

Highlights include money for a number of solar projects, advancing SMR development, the intertie to the United States, grid-scale batteries, and a “forecast that there will be over 130,000 clean energy jobs added in Saskatchewan between 2025 and 2050.”

Oh, and I am willing to bet a Christmas cheesecake the $265 million number was set so they could say it was more than Harper gave carbon capture in 2008 ($240 million). Never mind 9 years of inflation meaning my kid cries after buying groceries.

And on the topic of Guilbeault, Pipeline Online columnist Jim Warren, knocks another one out of the park talking about his involvement with the green slush fund.

 

What’s a drilling rig doing southeast of Moose Jaw?

Climate Cult Drill, Baby, Drill 30 Comments

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

Trump won. Build that pipeline

Baiting The Left Drill, Baby, Drill 28 Comments
Donald Trump on May 26, 2016, when he was asked by Brian Zinchuk if he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

Brian Zinchuk: Trump won. Let’s build that pipeline, quick!

A remarkable alignment between Trump, the US House and Senate, Danielle Smith, Scott Moe and maybe Pierre Poilievre could make it happen

Also:

Verbatim backgrounder on oil and gas emissions cap

Emissions cap puts methane in spotlight; industry says low-hanging fruit already gone

Maybe TMX won’t be the last pipeline, after all

Drill, Baby, Drill 9 Comments

Enbridge in talks about Mainline pipeline expansion as Canadian oil output grows

Enbridge in talks about Mainline pipeline expansion as Canadian oil output grows

This is very significant, as the enormous cost overruns (6x over initial budget) of the Trans Mountain Expansion seemed to scare off anyone from ever doing a major pipeline in this country again. But that was the federal government running the show.

Historically, Enbridge built a new mainline pipe about every decade. The shot above was Line 3 replacement in 2017. The previous Alberta clipper was 2008-2009. And this new development is very likely so that Enbridge is ready to go with a new Conservative government in place next year. Thoughts?

Also:

Veren intends on spending 15% of its 2025 capital budget in Saskatchewan

SeaRose floating oilfield vessel en route back to Canada after refurbishment: Cenovus

Trevor Rose Podcast: Scott Saxberg

 

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