‘Utilize every asset’: Sask. premier defends province’s nuclear transition plan

The Saskatchewan government is defending its $26B coal plant refurbishment plan after NDP Leader Carla Beck called the long-term costs staggering.

Saskatchewan’s premier says the province is moving steadfast towards its goal of eventual nuclear power generation. However, that process will include leveraging every bit of infrastructure along the way.

Premier Scott Moe discussed the topic on CTV Your Morning Saskatchewan on Monday, defending the province’s plan to revitalize and continue to operate the province’s coal-fired power plants in the face of criticism from the provincial NDP.

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“The most affordable way to power our province for the next 5, 10, 15, 20 years until we’re able to make that nuclear transition is to utilize every asset that we have today,” Moe explained.

“Not turn off one megawatt of power that is operating today, so that we can power the mines that are operating today, being built today, power all of the investments that are being made here in this province, which are in excess of $60 billion dollars as we speak.”

Saskatchewan’s shift to nuclear is a process layered with immense regulation, with the premier noting that commissioning a nuclear power plant in the province is expected to take around 14 years.

“We’re five or six years into that in the Estevan area, starting to look at the potential for large scale nukes in another area of the province as well to really power our future into for decades and generations in an affordable, reliable way,” he said.

“That is the focus of Saskatchewan Power Corporation and the government.”

Minister of Crown Investments Corporation Jeremy Harrison doubled down on the premier’s stance while speaking to reporters Monday.

“Our bridge to nuclear power generation is to life extend and repower our existing thermal coal fleet and we’ve been very clear about that, all the way along. That’s the central discussion that’s occurring right now, because the opposition position is that we should immediately shut down our existing thermal coal fleet and transition to gas,” he said.

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 2067 assistant business manager Ken Hoste also supports the government’s current plan.

“This is a community. This is a culture and every single person in the town is connected to coal, whether they work in it or not,” he said. “The spin offs, restaurants, people buying vehicles, everything. The whole town needs coal.”

More party nominations coming

Looking forward past the spring session and into summer, Moe said the Saskatchewan Party will be focusing on voter outreach while formally nominating candidates for the next provincial election – slated for 2028.

The Saskatchewan Party nominated Moe for re-election in late April.

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“We’re going to run a number of nominations this summer as well, as we start to get our party election ready, albeit a little earlier than what we’ve seen in elections gone by,” he said.

“But we’re going to get out across the province, in the communities.”

During his conversation with CTV Your Morning Saskatchewan, Moe also spoke about flooding, cancer care and improvements in surgical wait times as well as his summer plans.

Moe’s full interview can be viewed below.