A Court of King’s Bench judge has reserved her decision on an application from two advocacy groups seeking to stop Saskatchewan’s plan to extend coal fired power generation.
Glenn Wright, acting for the Saskatchewan Environmental Society and Citizens for Public Justice, asked the court on Tuesday to order the province to explain why it needs to extend the Shand, Boundary Dam, and Poplar River stations.
The filing also seeks an interim injunction to pause any work to restart the idled unit at Boundary Dam until records are produced.
The move follows a June 18 letter from Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison to SaskPower employees saying the province would extend the life of the coal fleet.
The plants had been slated to close by 2030 to align with Canada’s climate goals.
Premier Scott Moe, speaking in Saskatoon, tied the fight to Ottawa’s proposed clean electricity rules.
"We're asking for the federal rules to change," said Moe.
"We're going to be operating those plants into the future to provide affordable, reliable power."
Justice Heather MacMillan-Brown declined to grant the interim order immediately.
She said she must first decide whether the issue is one the court should hear.
She will issue written reasons to set a schedule on that point and on whether the province must produce records.
Government lawyer Elaine Thompson told the court by phone that the application is flawed because it rests on “a letter from a minister reassuring workers they will have jobs,” reflecting core policy on energy, not an administrative decision the court can review.
Wright disagreed, saying policy choices are not above judicial scrutiny.
Ottawa aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 and reach net-zero by 2050.
Former NDP cabinet minister Peter Prebble, now with the environmental society, said delays let Saskatchewan spend public money refurbishing coal plants before the case is heard.
"That's the government strategy and it's just the wrong thing to be doing,” said Prebble.
