Sask. premier says federal net-zero electricity targets are unachievable but experts disagree

Premier Scott Moe said the federal government's proposed clean energy regulations are 'unachievable' for the province, but experts say the transition is attainable and must happen.

Last week, Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault released Ottawa's proposed Clean Electricity Rules. They are intended to pave the way to a net-zero power grid — not a fossil fuel-free grid — in Canada by 2035. 

Saskatchewan officials have said the targets will be impossible to meet. A SaskPower spokesperson said the province will "greatly reduce GHG emissions as we approach 2035, but achieving net-zero isn't feasible technically, logistically, or financially." They declined CBC's request for an interview. 

Provinces have been given time to comment on the rules before they are finalized.

"There could be a productive conversation to work on the details of the policy without the wholesale rejection," Brett Dolter, assistant professor in the department of economics at University of Regina, said.

He said the transition is feasible for the province, especially because the new regulations don't mean the end of natural gas power generation.

The government can build new plants with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) infrastructure attached to them while the old ones can run until the end of their life, Dolter said. 

"The other option is you run them less frequently. You use them as a backup when wind or solar energy aren't available, you could have the gas plant come online to give power," he said.

By the proposed regulations, CCS infrastructure will be mandatory after Jan. 2025. That transition will be supported with a 50 per cent tax credit, Dotler said. 

He also said the new natural gas plant that is currently under construction in Moose Jaw should be built by 2024, meaning it can go ahead without CCS and run like that for 20 years. 

Furthermore, he said the province is well-positioned to capture carbon and store it in the ground. The availability of wind and solar energy in the province are added benefits. 

"Can we produce wind and solar for less of the cost of buying that gas from Alberta? Increasingly, the answer is yes."

Saskatchewan is currently targeting a non-emitting grid by 2050. Dolter believes the province should expedite the goals indicated in that plan. Last week, Moe said accelerating the existing plan would cost people. 

"It will at least double the power rates in the province, so we can't afford it," he said.