Tag: energy policy

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

BREAKING: Coal injunction tossed, judicial activism rebuked

Climate Cult 7 Comments
Boundary Dam Power Station

BREAKING: Coal injunction tossed; court says governments get to make environmental policy. In other words, the coal injunction is dead it its tracks. @SaskPower can rejuvenate its coal fleet. The decision is a rebuke of the trend of judge-made law and activist courts, clearly noting the supremacy of the legislative branch in making policy.

This is a huge decision on many points – not just on coal, but on putting activist judges in their place. It will be cited for a long time to come.

The pendulum just may be swinging back to sanity.

Also: NDP criticizes impending SaskPower rate hikes, minister responds

Trump & Co. mentioned oil 26 times …

Drill, Baby, Drill 105 Comments

… during the press conference after nabbing Venezuela’s Maduro.

This is a HUGE problem for Canada, as every barrel of oil Venezuela adds would most likely displace a barrel Canada produces. How do I know? Because Canadian oil replaced Venezuelan production over the last two decades.

Brian Zinchuk: Trump’s takeover of Venezuela means Canada needs those west coast pipelines ASAP

Don’t believe me? Here’s Adam Pankratz in the National Post.

Adam Pankratz: Venezuelan oil could put Canada out of business

If sabotage of the energy industry doesn’t end now, we face impoverishment

I swear I wrote my own column a day before I saw his. They’re almost word for word in some parts.

Year end interview with Scott Moe on energy

Drill, Baby, Drill No Comments

Pipeline Online Podcast Ep. 24: Premier Scott Moe Year End

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe joins the Pipeline Online Podcast in his annual year-end interview. The discussion digs into the coal decision, Saskatchewan’s move into nuclear, carbon capture, interties to Alberta’s grid, and the Alberta-Canada MOU. The multilateral well program, oil production goals, Saskatchewan’s new energy and resources minister, lithium and hydrogen are also discussed.

If you can’t build a big pipeline, do you build small?

Drill, Baby, Drill 4 Comments

So it looks like a minor pipeline expansion of the Enbridge Mainline is in the works:

Enbridge has no plans to apply for national interest project as it tackles expansions.

And one of the companies that feeds those pipelines is Canadian Natural Resources:

Canadian Natural president awaiting more detail on Ottawa’s climate plans

And here’s a nice little video showing life on a drilling rig.

 

Saskatchewan commits to nuclear power generation: The full press conference video

Radioactive youmightbeinsaskatchewan 20 Comments

This is one of the most significant announcements in years.

This plan, if followed, will dramatically reshape Saskatchewan. Nuclear may not be cheap or easy, but it is also transformative in many ways. And as many participants and executives during the conference noted these power stations could last up to 100 years, this really is a case of planting trees so one’s grandchildren can play in the shade.

That plan, in its entirety, is reproduced here on Pipeline Online.

That’s just a part of the in-depth coverage of the conference’s events provided by Pipeline Online. Check out, for instance, the opening question Pipeline Online posed during the scrum portion, and then look at the question asked by other media at 44:51, when another reporter asked, “Can you clarify what you mean of nuclear power sources? Does that mean a nuclear power plant in Saskatchewan?”

“Yes, that’s what we’re talking about here,” Harrison responded.

Remember, she was standing there for 45 minutes, listening to over half an hour of press conference and then 10 minutes of questions to then ask if all this meant a nuclear power plant in Saskatchewan?

You might notice me in the middle of the pack, doing a face-palm.

Where would you prefer to get your energy news?

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