Tag: energy policy

A whole lot of depth on last week’s nuclear announcement for Saskatchewan

Drill, Baby, Drill Ethical Energy 6 Comments

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

 

How much? A zillion? Surely more than that!

Ethical Energy 7 Comments

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

The World Turned Upside Down

Baiting The Left Drill, Baby, Drill 3 Comments

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.

Giving Ottawa the bird on coal

Climate Cult Drill, Baby, Drill 7 Comments
Boundary Dam Power Station on the day Unit 4 returned to life. Photo by Brian Zinchuk

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.

Sask NDP’s big plan for the electrical grid: Hint – lots of wind and solar, and natural gas

Climate Cult Drill, Baby, Drill 7 Comments

I spent 11 hours working on this story, which I broke into four parts. These are the first two, the next two will come out early next week.

The NDP again want to see coal-fired power go away, “as practical.” The want to convert coal plants to natural gas, even though Saskatchewan has lots of coal but not much in the way of natural gas anymore. We drilled ten gas wells over the last decade, and Alberta did that many by noon today.

There is of course the obligatory massive buildout of wind and solar, and storage. And just coincidentally, three hours after the press conference, wind output in Alberta fell to next to nothing, again.

Digging deep on the NDP’s “Grid & Growth” plan for Saskatchewan’ electrical grid, Part 1

Part 2: Nuclear

NDP want to increase net-metering rate

Also:

Jim Warren: A History of Oil Production and Price Crises 1973-1991

Who lit the blowtorch to that bridge first?

Great Moments In Socialism 15 Comments

Was it Lewis with his anti-everything policies, or Beck, with her more pragmatic you-re-a-nut-job-stay-away response?

Beck’s frosty letter to new federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis over energy and resource policies

“The positions that you have taken when it comes to natural resource development are ideological and unrealistic. They would hurt Saskatchewan workers, communities, and industries.” – Carla Beck

Coal three ways – four, actually

Climate Cult Drill, Baby, Drill 10 Comments

Three in-depth pieces on coal-fired power today:

NDP say coal refurbishment will double electricity rates by 2050, prefer natural gas and renewables instead

NDP analysis of coal refurbishment and its impact on rates, in depth

SaskPower Minister responds to NDP study on refurbishing coal and its impact on rates

In cased you missed this major related story on Monday:

BREAKING: Data centre hinges on dispatchable baseload power, including coal refurbishment

I would like to point out that the Leader Post, CTV and CBC failed to mention, or perhaps even realize, that it will be coal powering that new data centre in Regina. Where did they think that power is going to come from? I know! Solar, at night!

 

Could Iran be the next “Forever War?”

Drill, Baby, Drill 55 Comments

Weekend Watch: The Iran War Expert: I Simulated The Iran War for 20 Years. Here’s What Happens Next.

While watching this, consider if the Iran War does become a forever war, what will it’s impact be on oil production, delivery through the Strait of Hormuz or lack thereof, the world economy, Canadian and Saskatchewan oil production could be profound and last years? Could this lead to a global recession, but good times for our oilpatch? Remember the $147 WTI barrel of July, 2008, led to the global financial crisis that September. Some of us are still bearing the scars of that.

I know I am.

Can Saskatchewan do the CANDU?

Drill, Baby, Drill 12 Comments

Should Saskatchewan buy the CANDU reactor when it comes to building large-scale nuclear in this province? Carl Marcotte Senior Vice-President, Marketing & Business Development at CANDU Energy, part of AtkinsRealis, makes the pitch. Building large reactors will only be the largest, most expensive decision made by this province for generations.

Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 29: Carl Marcotte, CANDU Energy

I’m hoping to get Westinghouse on in a future episode, as the main competitor.

Related: Cameco CEO on whirlwind Washington trip for talks on reactor deal

Also – Jim Warren: Critical questions about the Alberta-Ottawa pipeline MOU remain unanswered

Enbridge unfazed by prospect of more Venezuelan oil headed to Gulf Coast

TC Energy sets growth sights on U.S. data centre boom

Proudly powered by WordPress & Skyrocket Themes

MENU

Navigation