Premier Scott Moe and the Trudeau government have different plans on the timeline for achieving net-zero carbon emissions from power generation.. Methane EmissionsCanada has committed to eliminating coal fired power by 2030. .The Trudeau government announced in 2016 that coal-fired electricity without carbon capture and storage technology would be phased out by 2030..The operation of a coal-fired power plant would be prohibited without using carbon capture and storage technology, according to the ban announced in 2016..“Currently, only the Boundary Dam 3 coal power plant in Saskatchewan uses this technology,” said the federal government website..Premier Moe spoke to the media on Tuesday and said it is not feasible for the province to close down its coal-fired power plants by 2030..“This isn’t about SaskPower and the province not continuing their march towards greening our power grid,” Moe told the media after delivering the Williston Basin Petroleum Conference keynote speech..“It’s about what’s possible versus some ideological policy that may come from another level of government.”.Moe said Saskatchewan would keep moving toward sustainable and renewable energy sources with a net-zero carbon emissions goal by the year 2050..However, this goal does not meet the Trudeau government’s target of a grid with net-zero carbon emissions by 2035..Regarding transitioning to renewable energy, Moe said further details would be disclosed in the coming months..During his speech, the premier praised the Sustainable Saskatchewan campaign, which advertises in various airports across Canada about Saskatchewan’s sustainability progress..“That campaign is designed to tell a story about this province and the industries that are operating in this province,” said Moe..“I would say largely underreported in mainstream media in this province and across the nation.”.Moe said the Trudeau government underrates the Sustainable Saskatchewan campaign, but it is important for communicating information to Canadians and potential customers abroad..“Saskatchewan’s enhanced oil recovery program has sequestered enough carbon now to make 4.5 million homes energy neutral by the end of the year,” said Moe..“We’re telling the world about Saskatchewan’s sustainable energy producers in all industries.”.NDP’s SaskPower, Energy, and Resources critic Aleana Young attended the conference and told reporters that the province has slowly adopted sustainable energy sources..“First of all, [the provincial government] have been dinosaurs on renewables, which has put us 15 years behind other provinces and energy security is critical,” said Young..“With this government, we see an ongoing commitment to … make investments that are not in Saskatchewan … I fail to see how that’s creating energy security in Saskatchewan or good-paying jobs for Saskatchewan people.”.Young acknowledged that Saskatchewan has been a global leader in carbon capture and storage technology, which could enable coal power plants to continue operating even after the 2030 deadline..“We have seen nothing from this government for 15 years and now we see huge amounts of money flowing to Alberta, while Saskatchewan sits idly by,” said Young..Young disagrees with the Trudeau government regarding clean power generation targets..“2035 is for sure too far too fast when you look at a jurisdiction like Saskatchewan. We do have challenges compared to other places that may have different power generating options … Hydro’s the obvious one,” said Young..“If this government had actually been getting to those tables, ensuring that there’s dialogue, and ensuring that some of those federal dollars … to help green the electrical grid ... we would be a lot farther ahead than we are now.”
