Power struggle: Sask. premier calls federal aim of net-zero by 2035 'impossible' and 'unaffordable'
CBC
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says the federal government's goal of requiring electrical grids to be net-zero by 2035 is "impossible and unaffordable."
Moe and SaskPower held a news conference Tuesday morning outlining the province's plan for power generation into the future, which includes a net-zero goal for 2050 — 15 years later than the federal target.
"In Saskatchewan, we will not attempt the impossible when it comes to power production in our province. We will not risk plunging our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our special care homes, our businesses into the cold and darkness because of the ideological whims of others," Moe said Tuesday morning.
"We will not increase power costs to our businesses to our families to the point they become completely unaffordable."
Moe called the federal government's still-to-be-released clean electricity standards "unrealistic" for the province.
Currently, 65 per cent of the province's power comes from natural gas (40 per cent), and coal (25 per cent).
Moe outlined "Saskatchewan's plan" which calls for:
Moe said the federal money would allow SaskPower to hold rate increases at three per cent annually.
He also called for a freeze of the carbon tax on electricity.
He said the federal plan has moved the "goalposts" on environmental and energy policy consistently.
"Wind and solar can supplement power, but they can't provide base-load generation," Moe said.
Moe said he does not think other provinces would be able to achieve net-zero by 2035.
He said the federal clean electricity standards would shutter coal plants including Boundary Dam 3, which is equipped with carbon capture and sequestration, as well as the province's 10 natural gas plants by the end of 2035.
"We will consider running our fossil fuel generating electricity production facilities to the end of their life," Moe said.
