Latest news with #JeremyHarrison
Global News
21 hours ago
- Business
- Global News
Saskatchewan government extending life of coal-based power plants
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook The province of Saskatchewan has been touting a nuclear-based net-zero power grid to come online by 2050. In order to get there, the government is extending the life of coal-based assets. Jeremy Harrison, minister responsible for SaskPower, said the province has been working on what power generation will look like in the future, even though these assets are on the list of federal government phase-outs. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'The constitutional authority for power generation is squarely under Section 92-A of the constitution within provincial jurisdiction,' Harrison said. 'There's no question about that, there's no debate.' Check out the video above for more details.
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Sask. to extend life of all coal-fired power plants despite federal clean electricity regulations
Social Sharing The Saskatchewan government has informed Crown employees it will extend the life of all its coal-fired power plants, setting up a potential legal battle with the federal government over environmental regulations. Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison announced the decision in a letter distributed to all SaskEnergy employees on Wednesday. It was not announced publicly. Harrison said the province will continue the use of the coal plants as it moves toward adopting nuclear power generation for its base load requirements, and remains committed to the goal of a net-zero grid by 2050. The letter also tees up a potential dispute between the province and Ottawa, with Harrison writing that the province does not believe the federal government has any standing to shut down provincial coal plants. "We have also been clear that we do not recognize the legitimacy of the federal Clean Electricity Regulations," Harrison wrote. Brett Dolter, a professor of economics at the University of Regina, described the decision as an "incredibly disappointing development." Dolter, who has researched electricity options and pathways in Saskatchewan for more than a decade, said the decision to extend the life of the province's coal-fire plants violates federal regulations meant to reduce carbon dioxide emission. "This opens up the door for protracted legal battles with the federal government and great uncertainty at a time when rapid investment in our electricity system is needed, " Dolter said in an email. The province announced earlier this year that it was mulling this decision over. At the time, it appeared to fly in the face of years of work on the coal-fired power plants. In 2012, then-prime minister Stephen Harper's federal government passed new regulations that would see the end of most coal-fired power by mid-21st century. In 2016, Justin Trudeau's government passed further regulations requiring all coal-fired power stations to be closed down after 50 years of operation, or by 2030, whichever comes first. The province has previously said it would comply with those rules. The decision announced today makes it clear that will no longer happen. Saskatchewan even provided financial support for communities as it initially pushed toward ending its use of coal-fired plants. In 2020, it announced Estevan would receive $8 million and Coronach would receive $2 million. A further $550,000 was announced for Coronach in 2023. A 'Blockbuster Video' decision: expert Work to "restore" Boundary Dam 4 to service and get it recertified is set to begin this year, Harrison wrote. He also promised to extend the lives of all coal units at Poplar River Power Station near Coronach, as well as Shand Power Station and Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan, in the "years to come." It's not clear how much that work will cost. The province "isn't releasing cost estimates at this time." WATCH| Saskatchewan is looking to build a small modular reactor. Here's why. Saskatchewan is looking to build a small modular reactor. Here's why. 11 months ago Duration 1:56 A final decision on whether an SMR will be built in the province is not expected until 2029. If approved, construction could begin as early as 2030, with the first SMR in Saskatchewan becoming operational as soon as 2034. CBC Saskatchewan reporter Alexander Quon explains why the province is looking to set one up in the first place. Dolter said he believes the cost will be significant and that a better investment would be constructing new power plants that can operate beyond 2050 and are resilient to any future policy changes at the provincial and federal levels. "Investing in coal power plants now is like Blockbuster Video doubling down on building new VHS-rental stores in an era of Netflix and other streaming services. It is a waste of Saskatchewan ratepayers' and taxpayers' money," Dolter wrote.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Saskatchewan government plans to extend life of coal plants: Minister
REGINA — Saskatchewan's government says it's planning to extend the life of the province's coal plants before moving to nuclear power generation. Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison says in a letter to SaskPower employees that the decision will maintain jobs while keeping electricity affordable and reliable. Harrison did not provide details on the costs of the plan or timelines, but says the province will explore the viability of adding carbon capture units. The province already operates the units at the Boundary Dam Power Station, which has sometimes struggled to meet carbon capture targets. SaskPower, the province's electrical utility, operates three coal-fired plants and some units were scheduled to go offline in the coming years. The province signed a deal with Ottawa in 2019 recognizing some units could run beyond the phaseout deadline of 2030, but Harrison says Saskatchewan has constitutional authority over electricity generation. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025. Jeremy Simes, The Canadian Press Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
CBC
02-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Indigenous-led partnerships powering 2 new Sask. renewable energy projects
Social Sharing Two new renewable energy projects are coming to south-central Saskatchewan, both through Indigenous-led partnerships. The projects were announced Thursday at a news conference in Regina with provincial officials, SaskPower and Indigenous leaders. SaskPower awarded contracts for the 200-megawatt Rose Valley Wind Project, east of Assiniboia, and the 100-megawatt Southern Springs Solar Project, south of Coronach. The projects will be developed and run by Potentia Renewables Inc. in partnership with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) and Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation. The wind project will operate under a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA), while the solar project will run under a 25-year PPA. M-Squared (M2) Renewables, a joint venture between MLTC and Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, will hold a 51 per cent stake in each project — making it the largest Indigenous ownership share of any utility-scale energy initiative in Saskatchewan to date, according to a news release. The provincial government said the announcement reflects a broader commitment to economic reconciliation and supporting Indigenous participation in major infrastructure developments across the province. "With these projects, our government and SaskPower are continuing to advance economic reconciliation and build on our strong relationships with Saskatchewan's Indigenous communities," Jeremy Harrison, minister responsible for SaskPower, said in a news release. SaskPower said the two projects will produce enough electricity to power about 125,000 homes, while helping reduce emissions and maintain affordability. "Southern Springs Solar and Rose Valley Wind will not create emissions while generating," Rupen Pandya, SaskPower President and CEO said. Meadow Lake Tribal Council Chief Jeremy Norman said the projects are not only about delivering power — they're about creating opportunity. He said the ability to own and operate energy infrastructure brings meaningful participation in the provincial economy and supports long-term goals of self-determination. "To make power from wind to make power from the sun, what creator has made, it's a no-brainer for us," Norman tribal said at the event. "To be one step closer to bringing our kids more opportunity, tackling some of the issues in our community, that our people face, it's a no-brainer." Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Chief Daryl Watson also welcomed the collaboration, calling it an example of reconciliation in action. He said the economic impact will help the community build much-needed infrastructure. "Now we're looking at increasing our housing allocations, we're looking at building a hockey arena, we're looking at community centres now that have never been thought of before," Watson said. The projects are expected to be completed in late 2027. Once operational, the new facilities will bring SaskPower's total wind generation capacity to 1,217 megawatts and solar capacity to 318 megawatts.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sask. government touts steel deal and pushes for pipeline amid U.S. tariffs
SaskPower is buying 10,000 tons of steel amid U.S. tariffs, but Saskatchewan's minister of Crown corporations says the long-term answer is to build more pipelines. The 10,000-ton SaskPower steel order announced Tuesday comes after the United States slapped Canada with a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum on Mar. 12. Jeremy Harrison, Saskatchewan's minister of Crown investments corporation, said steel is one of the industries that the government can move on because of its Crown corporations. "SaskPower was going to be procuring steel over, you know, a number of years into the future for needs," Harrison said. "What we really did was move up those procurements such that we would do this at the very front end and then be able to utilize that resource over the longer term." The minister also noted that only about three per cent of steel bought by the province's Crowns is from the United States. The province said Evraz is also working on a steel order from SaskEnergy. "EVRAZ is working on an order from SaskEnergy, which purchased 125 kilometres of steel pipe through Gateway Tubulars LTD. for the Aspen Power Station project, a new 370-megawatt natural gas power plant near Lanigan," a news release said. Calgary-based Gateway Tubulars LTD is a partially owned subsidiary of the Houston-based Marubeni-Itochu Tubulars America. Pipelines wanted in the long term Harrison said that while the province is able to move forward on the steel procurement, he wants long-term pipeline plans. "We have been advocating tirelessly as a government to get pipelines built," he said at the Evraz facility. "East, north, west, south, I don't care what direction. All of the above. We need to get pipelines built in this country again." Jeremy Harrison is the minister of Crown investments corporation. He announced on Tuesday that Sask Power would be purchasing 10,000 tons of steel from Evraz. (CBC) That message was echoed by United Steelworkers local union president Mike Day, who said there needs to be more infrastructure built. "We used to be the number 1 producer of large diameter pipe in North America. We need to get back to that," Day said at the news conference. Day said it has been a rough go for the workers in the tubular division at the plant for the last four to five years and the recent tariff chaos hasn't helped. "Whether you're conservative, whether you're Democrat, we need to gather, get together and come up with more of these infrastructure projects to build the economy," he said. Harrison said he was optimistic about a "change in tone" from the federal Liberal party in regard to energy infrastructure. Evraz sale In 2022, the Russian steel and mining company Evraz PLC announced it planned to sell its North American assets, which include the steel plant in Regina. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Canada sanctioned Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch who holds a 28 per cent ownership stake in Evraz. Evraz Canada senior vice president Don Hunter was present at Tuesday's news conference, but stayed tight-lipped about the potential sale. "Everyone knows our company in North America is for sale," said Hunter. "I have no comments on the sale or the process because we're in the middle of it." Evraz North America is headquartered in Chicago, Ill., and has Canadian operations in Regina and Alberta. It has said it is a subsidiary and operates independently of Evraz PLC.
