Solar produces zero power 20 nights in a row. This was indeed confirmed by SaskPower.
Also:
TC Energy eyes data centre growth as potential opportunity
CNRL curtailing production from new natural gas wells as low prices persist
Drill, baby, drill?
Drill, baby, drill: Trump promises energy dominance, but lower energy prices
The last time, that didn’t work out so well for Saskatchewan oil and gas. The depths of the seven year oil downturn which devastated the Saskatchewan oil and gas industry included all four of the Trump years the last time around. While oil low prices benefited consumers and large portions of the economy, they also had a significant impact on Saskatchewan oil companies and particularly oilfield service companies. Activity levels, vendor rates, employment and employee remuneration were all deeply affected by the low energy price policies.
This is NOT an endorsement of Biden by any means, but simply a reflection on what did happen during the last Trump presidency.
To hell with the naysayers
Crowdsourcing a curriculum for the new Oil & Gas 20 and 30 high school classes
The columnists with the Leader-Post and StarPhoenix were aghast that the oil and gas sector would have input into crafting a course. To hell with them. This is an opportunity.
Will you help?
Clean Electricity Regulations: the fight heats up
Three stories in the ongoing Clean Electricity Regulations saga, more to come.
Guilbeault counters Saskatchewan’s defiance of Clean Electricity Regulations, Eyre fires back
Sask NDP response to Clean Electricity Regulations tribunal report
Clean Electricity Regulations: Longhorn Oil & Gas submission
First implementation of the Sask First Act – Saskatchewan won’t follow Clean Electricity Regulations
For a long time, Premier Scott Moe has been saying it’s impossible to comply with federal regulations regarding getting rid of our fossil-fueled power generation, in the timeline the federal Liberal government wants.
It’s coming to a head.
This is the first action of this type thus far under the Saskatchewan First Act. This is what it was meant for.
If implemented in their current form, the Clean Electricity Regulations mean to all but eliminate the burning of fossil fuels for power generation in 10 years, six months and three days from now. Saskatchewan relies on natural gas and coal to produce the vast majority of its power, up to 88 per cent on some days. And if implemented, these regulations will fundamentally alter Canada and its economy, and affect all of its people in one form or another. It’s one of the most important policy pieces in generations, seeking to remake Canada.
Saskatchewan won’t follow Clean Electricity Regulation, citing Economic Assessment Tribunal report.
Executive summary of the report
The government released all the submissions to the tribunal. I will be reprinting many of them over the coming days, maybe weeks. There’s a lot. And there’s a lot to be said.
Carbon capture strikes out in Alberta
If carbon capture is supposed to be the future, why does it keep striking out? Last week, Capital Power in Alberta cancelled the $2.4 billion carbon capture project for the Genesee Power Station, which is currently being converted from coal to natural gas. It’s the last thermal coal power plant in Canada west of Coronach, Sask.
Also last week, TransAlta canceled a wind project not far from Waterton Lakes National Park.
And Saskatchewan and Alberta are deepening nuclear ties.
TC Energy’s making bank on natural gas deliveries.
We’re going to do our own thing, thank you
The proposed federal Clean Electricity Regulations say in 10 years, seven months and 15 days we won’t be able to use natural gas-fired power generation without carbon capture except for very short periods of time over a whole year.
Or in Saskatchewan, we just say to hell with that and turn sod on our newest big natural gas-fired power station.
Also, Biden hates oil so much, he wants more of their money.
Jordan Peterson and Patrick Moore talk climate change and CO2
This is a REALLY good discussion about CO2, its role in the world, and anthropogenic climate change. The call it “fake catastrophes.” Lots of talk about glaciation, which I love, because no one ever talks about that. I do.
It is worth your time to listen to this some time this weekend. I feel a lot smarter now, and I’m only 2/3 through it.
To hell with it is “definitely on the table”
Saskatchewan fights back on federal oil and gas emissions cap, Methane 75. Saying “to hell with it” is “definitely on the table,” says minister when asked.
Province invokes Saskatchewan First Act, again, building its case against the federal government’s never-ending smothering greenhouse gas emissions rules, regulations and legislation.
I was up in Saskatoon Monday to cover this important announcement. Saskatchewan’s not going to take it, anymore. Kinda like Twisted Sister. For some reason, I keep referencing that song.
Boiling that frog. But is it really a frog in the pot?
Alberta’s rolling blackouts show we’re the frog being boiled.
Also:
Saskatchewan’s Top 10 oil producers in 2023.
A second LNG facility at Kitimat, Cedar LNG, is getting seriously closer to going ahead.
Indeed, companies like Baker Hughes are already crowing about getting contracts.
… and the horse you rode in on, Charlie!
The member of parliament who on Feb. 5 introduced one of the most draconian laws against free speech (and that’s saying something in recent years) has decided not to run again in the next election. NDP MP Charlie Angus is calling it quits at the end of this term, after 20 years.
He’s the guy who wanted to ban promotion of fossil fuels, having introduced a private members bill which would have meant every ad on Pipeline Online, for instance, could incur up to a half million dollar fine.
Carbon and lithium
Working through the periodic table:
Lithium in SK, Part 27: Lithium Bank sells Estevan area land to unnamed buyer
Those Lloydminster folks aren’t too happy about the carbon tax.
Nor are a bunch of other people happy about the carbon tax.
And regarding hydrogen and carbon in the form of methane and other natural gas liquids,
Pembina closes Alliance Pipeline deal with Enbridge
As a note, The Alliance Pipeline runs right through Saskatchewan. I started work on it three weeks after my May, 1999 wedding. I was the only guy on my road bore crew of 12 married once! Most were on their second marriage, a few on their third, one I think on his fourth. At that point you walk into a bar, find a woman you don’t like, and give her your house.
In six weeks, it’ll be 25 years for us. So that pipeline project has some meaning for me.
Will a First Nation-owned pipeline be without protests and opposition?
Can’t imagine why oil shippers demand explanation from Trans Mountain for pipeline cost overruns, can you?
B.C. First Nation and Western LNG partner to purchase natural gas pipeline project. Can they succeed in bringing a major pipeline in on time and on budget, or will they face the same perils as Trans Mountain (above) and Coastal GasLink? Will other First Nations do all they can to halt it, like GasLink? Will they destroy equipment and raid camps?
US Bureau of Land Management accepts bids for the sale of Federal Helium System. FYI the US Govt getting out of #helium is what’s driving Saskatchewan’s burgeoning industry
About those multi-lateral wells … and the Alberta grid
Saturn Oil & Gas has joined the multi-lateral bandwagon, having drilled two open hole multi-lateral wells that the Government of Saskatchewan announced an incentive for yesterday (shared yesterday)
I’ve been saying for over a year the Government of Saskatchewan needs to do something to increase drilling numbers. I’m wondering if this is it?
Also: Alberta’s shaking up its electrical grid by 2027. And in a related story, new rules for power generators in Alberta
About that walk in the snow… SaskEnergy minister takes a walk in the rain
Justin Trudeau may not have taken a “walk in the snow,” like his father did 40 years ago on this day, but Dustin Duncan took a walk in rain in front of Parliament, and decides we’re not remitting carbon tax to the feds.
This is the guy who, by a recently passed law, gets to be sacrificed on the cross for our carbon tax sins.
(The decision was clearly made before, but it makes good political theatre.)
No forecast for snow in Ottawa today, unfortunately. Maybe the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change changed the climate?
One step forward, two steps back
While voicing its opposition to federal oil and gas emissions caps, Saskatchewan goes to Houston to seek investment
Saskatchewan’s letter to Guilbeault opposing oil and gas emissions cap.
Saskatchewan’s letter to Guilbeault opposing Methane 75 emissions.
Alberta’s going all-in on its sovereign wealth fund
Danielle Smith goes all-in on revitalized sovereign wealth fund for Alberta. Saskatchewan had one, once, but that was 32 years ago. Details in story.
Quick Dick McDick: Climate Cult Megaspecial You gotta be $#!++!\ me
He even references “climate cult,” my favourite SDA category!
CJME/CKOM radio host Evan Bray visits the Estevan coal mine, and much learning ensues
Guilbeault takes out the trash on Clean Electricity Regulations
The Friday before a long weekend, Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault released his updates to the proposed Clean Electricity Regulations. This is the full update, verbatim.
In Pipeline Online’s continuing mission to ensure Canadians know exactly what Guilbeault is telling them, here’s his verbatim release on the Clean Electricity Regulations.
Remember what I said the previous week about taking out the trash day? Guilbeault did exactly that. Interesting, that.
And for something a little different, yesterday was Family Day. Not everyone gets to go sledding. While I took these photos three weeks ago, they’re pretty representative of what Family Day is to a lot of people in the oil sector – just another day.
Clean Electricity Regulations, LNG and fusion, oh my!
Guilbeault’s proposed Clean Electricity Regulations have been slightly modified. This is the Canadian Press story. I’ll be working on this to have a lot more in depth next week.
In my editors note, I point out: Pipeline Online will have extensive coverage on this early next week, including reaction from the Saskatchewan government. The “Clean Electricity Regulations”, if implemented, will be one of the largest and furthest reaching policies in recent Canadian history, impacting almost every aspect of our society and economy.
I should point out the most important lesson I ever learned about government communications came from a first season episode of The West Wing, called Take out the Trash Day.
This announcement from Guilbeault came out early Friday afternoon. Imagine that.
https://twitter.com/s_guilbeault/status/1758547663958483250?s=20
Also:
Peter Zeihan makes some sense, kinda sorta, out of Biden’s LNG export approval pause.
And who needs small modular reactors when we can apparently just jump to fusion? Hasn’t fusion power been just 30 years away for something like 60 years?
The nuclear renaissance coming to Saskatchewan
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.