GEPS Reports

Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future (Part 5)

The Public Policies Needed to Build a Renewable Energy Society in Saskatchewan - Executive Summary

by Peter Prebble

The experience of other parts of the world suggests that good public policy plays a crucial role in successfully developing renewable energy potential. With the release of the final report in the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Saskatchewan series “Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future,” former Saskatchewan Cabinet Minister Peter Prebble outlines the public policies that will be required to truly transform Saskatchewan into a renewable energy leader Full Report

Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future (Part 4)

Plugging the Gap: Sustainable Power Options to Complement Wind and Solar

by Mark Bigland-Pritchard

In the debate over sustainable energy options for the future, wind and solar power usually receive the bulk of attention. However, recent technological developments are creating a new assortment of viable sustainable energy options that Saskatchewan is well placed to take advantage of.

In this, the fourth in the five-part series published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Saskatchewan Office, Mark Bigland-Pritchard investigates the means by which the province could complement wind and solar power with other renewable energy options such as using fuels of biological origin like biomass and biochar, dammed and run-of-the-river hydroelectricity, concentrated solar thermal technology, advanced energy storage and other hybrid systems. He also evaluates the efficacy of these options as they pertain to Saskatchewan, exploring how they could be used in conjunction with other renewable energy choices to provide a stable and secure electrical power base for the future.

Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future (Part 3)

The Potential for Wind and Solar Power

by Mark Bigland-Pritchard

With the best solar profile in Canada, and the best onshore wind profile outside of Canada's coasts and the mountaintops, Saskatchewan is well positioned to be at the forefront of wind and solar development. Despite such a favourable environment, Saskpower continues to underachieve, with its targets for wind and other renewables modest at best with no plans for further expansion.

Bigland-Pritchard outlines a much bolder vision for our provincial energy corporation that would see renewables like wind and solar make up a larger proportion of our future energy mix. This proposal could result in our electricity supply reaching 25 per cent wind before 2030. Read the full report to find out how this goal can be achieved.

Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future (Part 2)

Using Electricity More Efficiently

by Mark Bigland-Pritchard

In the next ten years, industry will consume close to two-thirds of Saskatchewan’s electrical generation, with mining, steel, chemicals, oil refining and upgrading poised to consume 46.8% of the province’s electricity alone. That is one of the startling findings in a new report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ Saskatchewan Office, the second in a series.

Transforming Saskatchewan’s Electrical Future: Using Electricity More Efficiently, authored by Mark Bigland Pritchard, argues that our province needs to adopt a comprehensive energy conservation and efficiency program to combat industry’s voracious appetite for cheap, publicly subsidized power. Read the full report.

Transforming Saskatchewan's Electrical Future (Part 1)

Sustainability is Achievable, But How Do We Get There?

by Mark Bigland-Pritchard and Peter Prebble

This is the first in a series of CCPA Saskatchewan papers, written by Green Energy Project Saskatchewan researchers, on the options for sustainable electricity generation in the province. Future papers will consider each of the principal components outlined in this introductory report, explain the meaning and the relevance of some of the commonly-used technical terms (such as “baseload” and “smart grid”), and explore the policy options available to encourage the transition to sustainability. Read the full report.