Editor’s note: This is a letter sent by SaskPower’s Mike Monea to James Glennie, president of Saskatchewan Community Wind. The Mercury published a story on April 15 that was formed from Glennie’s opposition to the carbon capture project at Boundary Dam Power Station. Monea was quoted in the story as well. This is a letter sent by Monea to Glennie, which the Mercury also received, on April 20 and was given permission to publish.
Hello Mr. Glennie,
This is to acknowledge your most recent correspondence of April 16, 2015.
As previously mentioned in other correspondence, we respect your opinion, and value your input as we plan to ensure Saskatchewan’s electricity system can meet the needs of our growing business. As you’ll know from the tabling of our annual report this week, SaskPower invested $1.279 billion into the province’s electrical system in 2014 alone as we deal with the challenges of growth and aging infrastructure.
When planning our system, we consider all parts of the company rather than the economic performance of individual components. We’re fortunate to have a mix of options to choose from so we can balance cost, environmental sustainability, reliability and other factors. No single source has all the answers, and cost isn’t the only factor to consider.
The goal of BD3 is to keep producing affordable coal power, but in a way that is environmentally sustainable and meets federal emission regulations. We are selling the carbon dioxide as an added source of revenue. We obtain a fair price for the product and our off-taker will be able to increase production in the Weyburn-Midale oilfields. That also represents more economic activity in southeastern Saskatchewan and increased royalties for the province.
Approximately 25 per cent of SaskPower’s power production already comes from renewable sources. We continue to evaluate new projects and options into our mix. For us, it is not an either/or question. It’s important to not rely too heavily on any one source, but rather keep a balanced portfolio that will serve us both today and in the long-term, and that’s why we’re investigating all power generation sources.
Finally, I am concerned by your claim that SaskPower has repeatedly avoided engaging with you for the last two years. Our records indicate a much different picture – one of numerous attempts to share different viewpoints. I’m including it here for you and others to see.
Oct. 23, 2013 – Saskatchewan Community Wind (SCW) submitted an unsolicited power proposal to SaskPower for a 10 turbine, 23 megawatt, $50-million wind project, to be located 15 to 30 kilometres from Saskatoon.
Jan. 13, 2014 - Guy Bruce, vice-president, Resource Planning, responded to SCW’s proposal in writing, informing Mr. Glennie that SaskPower is currently developing a deployment plan for future wind power in Saskatchewan, and thus not accepting proposals at this time.
April 29, 2014 – A SaskPower director spoke by phone with Mr. Glennie about wind generation, system planning, and SaskPower’s business model.
Aug. 1, 2014 – SCW wrote a letter to Robert Watson, former President & CEO, taking issue with the wind-related content on saskpower.com.
Aug. 5, 2014 – SaskPower responded, explaining that the information on saskpower.com is to give our customers a high-level overview of each generation option, the pros and cons of each, and information regarding how they fit into our current and future plans.
Aug. 18, 2014 – SCW responded to the Aug. 5 letter, taking issue with Saskatchewan’s level of GHG emissions, timelines for our wind power plan and content on saskpower.com
Sept. 6, 2014 – Mr. Glennie visited SaskPower’s Power to Grow public outreach tour in Saskatoon, and conversed with SaskPower representatives on site.
Sept. 9, 2014 – Mr. Glennie phoned SaskPower to inquire about the status of a SaskPower natural gas project. He expressed his disappointment with SaskPower’s preference for large generation projects over renewables like wind.
Sept. 11, 2014 – SaskPower phoned Mr. Glennie in an effort to better understand his position, and discuss his letter of Aug. 18.
ct. 9, 2014 – SaskPower responded to a request for information from Mr. Glennie by email.
Dec. 10, 2014 - SaskPower sent a letter to respond to Mr. Glennie’s letter from Nov. 10, 2014.
Jan. 20, 2015 – SaskPower responded by email to address questions on balanced energy planning from Mr. Glennie.
Feb. 25, 2015 – SaskPower responded by email to Mr. Glennie to acknowledge his opinion and thank him for his input re: Saskatchewan’s electricity system.
I wish you good luck as you continue with your business endeavours in Saskatchewan.
Regards,
Mike Monea
