Saskatchewan is looking at extending the life of its existing coal-fired power plants as an affordable energy source, Premier Scott Moe says.
Moe said he has also directed the province’s Crown corporation, SaskPower, to prioritize affordability and reliability.
“With these priorities in mind, we are closely considering extending the life of our existing coal-fired power plants to provide the affordable, baseload power our growing province requires over the next decade and beyond while we continue to work towards adding nuclear power,” Moe said in a Jan. 23 social media post.
The move comes as the federal government has implemented regulations to phase out coal-fired power.
The first set of regulations came during the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2012, requiring coal power plants to be phased out by 2061. The Liberal government of Justin Trudeau introduced further regulations, advancing the timeline for phasing out coal by 2030, and not allowing any new coal plants.
The federal government says burning coal is the “single largest contributor to climate change and a major source of toxic pollution that harms human health.”
“Eliminating coal-fired power and replacing it with cleaner sources is an essential part of the transition to a low carbon economy, and as a result, building new thermal coal mines for energy production is not sustainable,” cabinet minister Jonathan Wilkinson said in 2021.
Moe said decisions on the future of power generation in the province would be based on what is best for families and Saskatchewan’s economy and “not unconstitutional federal regulations.”
The province has also opposed Ottawa’s Clean Electricity Regulations, and has stopped collecting carbon tax on home heating.
Reuters contributed to this report.
