Ontario’s proposed nuclear plants could cost nearly $300-billion, study finds

[shtferbrains]

So your saying much more solar will be installed, mostly due to government policy?
So why not just keep buying the anticipated surplus off the interconnect cheap and use the money to install reliable sources to sell for prices similar or higher than battery storage?
California has increased battery storage to 19% of demand but still relies on imports for a large part of their peak usage.
They are the WORLDS 4th largest economy. We have the geographic gift of being able to sell and buy from them.
Highest electricity price in the U.S.

[chuckChuck]

More low cost renewables will be installed if governments open up their electricity markets and stop picking winners and losers.

Like Alberta which had to come up with a bunch of bogus red tape on land use to stymie the rapid growth of renewables in a more competitive market. Meanwhile the oil iand gas industry has no similar red tape on what lands can be used.

Ontario is accepting auction bids from all types electricity providers. The lowest cost providers will win more bids.

In Saskatchewan the government is picking coal and nuclear and not comparing it with the cost of adding more wind and solar and interconnections.

They are hoping voters wont pay attention to comparing the costs.

Renewables are the lowest cost option. The head of Sask Power said so a few years ago.



SaskPower ([url]https://www.saskpower.com/[/url]) leadership and grid reports confirm that wind is among the most economical sources of new electricity in the province, offering some of the lowest generation costs when the wind is blowing. [1 ([url]https://renewablesassociation.ca/an-energy-solution-made-in-saskatchewan/)][/url]



Wind Power Economics in Saskatchewan

• Contract Prices: Recent competitive procurements for wind energy, such as the Potentia Renewables project near Assiniboia, have yielded average bid prices around $64 per megawatt-hour (or 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hour). [1 ([url]https://pipelineonline.ca/a-month-to-the-day-after-saskatchewan-announces-its-keeping-coal-alberta-wind-falls-to-1-4-capacity/[/url]), 2 ([url]https://www.saskpower.com/about-us/media-information/news-releases/2018/potentia-renewables-to-build-200-megawatt-wind-power-facility-near-assiniboia[/url]), 3 ([url]https://renewablesassociation.ca/an-energy-solution-made-in-saskatchewan/)][/url]
• Historical Benchmarks: Past competitive processes have yielded contract prices as low as $42 per megawatt-hour (4.2 cents per kilowatt-hour). [1 ([url]https://renewablesassociation.ca/an-energy-solution-made-in-saskatchewan/)][/url]
• Compared to Retail: These contracted rates are significantly lower than SaskPower’s standard retail residential rates, which typically sit around 14.89 cents per kilowatt-hour. [1 ([url]https://programs.greenlearning.ca/electrical-energy-calculator-saskatchewan-2025[/url]), 2 ([url]https://pipelineonline.ca/a-month-to-the-day-after-saskatchewan-announces-its-keeping-coal-alberta-wind-falls-to-1-4-capacity/)][/url]
• Cost-Effectiveness: When compared to the construction of new emitting baseload facilities, wind generation offers a low-cost method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save on fuel. [1 ([url]https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/carbon-capture-critics-1.4388026)][/url]

[shtferbrains]

Did you hear the CEO from Sask Power on Evan Bray this morning?
Very good interview with a lot of insight into what is happening.
He responded to all the questions with logical answers.
Sounded very competent to me.
Probably will run it again just after noon if you missed it.

You better call Carla and see what she thought?

[chuckChuck]

But what did he say that we don't already know?

[chuckChuck]

And why is there no open discussion about the costs of each option? Sask Power told Moe about the total cost of coal refurbishment at $26 billion and he quoted a much lower number. First Harrison said $900 million, then it was $2.6 billion and now the total cost is $26 billion? WTF?

"Documents from SaskPower filed with the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel show external consultants estimate it will cost $2.6 billion to refurbish Saskatchewan's coal-burning facilities.

That's nearly three times the previous estimate of $900 million Crown Investments Corporation Minister Jeremy Harrison gave in a media interview nine months ago.

The province maintains that keeping Saskatchewan's aging power plants going until 2050 is the affordable option to transition to nuclear power without building new infrastructure that complies with federal carbon regulations.

"It is by far the cheapest path," Harrisontold reporters last week.

Pure Bullshit from Harrison!

"David Pickup, manager of the electricity program at the Pembina Institute, a clean-energy think tank, said while questions around the affordability of coal can be complicated, Saskatchewan is increasingly alone in its position.

"Pretty much every province in Canada has either planned or has already gone off coal," Pickup said.

It's part of a wider global shift away from coal to "better, cheaper and cleaner alternatives," such as solar, wind and natural gas, he said.

"There's definitely lots of other options that are either as cost-effective or more cost-effective than continuing to burn coal."

They can maixmize renewables and storage. Build gas and interconnections for base load and backup. Amd then maybe consider nuclear to replace gas over the decades.

Fuel costs for coal are $1billion per year for only 25% of our current electrcity. Fuel costs for wind and solar are zero!

[blackpowder]

That's the situation we find ourselves in.
What were we thinking when we shut coal in before we had enough base load capacity from alternate reliables. Only Canada and EU did that.

[blackpowder]

And also in the eyes wide shut category.
In a 2019 interview Carney explains how in his time at the B of E, risk weights were shifted to enable a implicit carbon tax rather than a legislated explicit one. A back door as he explains it. Democracy in action, Carney style.

[shtferbrains]

Pure Bullshit from Harrison!

"David Pickup, manager of the electricity program at the Pembina Institute, a clean-energy think tank, said while questions around the affordability of coal can be complicated, Saskatchewan is increasingly alone in its position.

"Pretty much every province in Canada has either planned or has already gone off coal," Pickup said.

It's part of a wider global shift away from coal to "better, cheaper and cleaner alternatives," such as solar, wind and natural gas, he said.

Fuel costs for wind and solar are zero!

You're being deceived Chuck.
Wider global shift?
Asia doesn't count?
The world is not North America and Europe unless you just want to look at declining economies?
India uses more coal than NA and Europe.
Asia Pacific has by far the fastest growing electricity demand and is no where near meeting demand in countries like India.

[blackpowder]

All you're going to get in response is more one sided answers only louder.
All governments here allowed coal plants to age with no plan.
At least we own our natural gas for as long as it lasts.
EU has to sooner or later buy from Russia. China busy building pipelines there.
Even China knows coal, with current technologies is dirty.
They definitely build a lot of renewable.
But they didn't trade stability and security for worthless brownie points. Everything they do is for long term strength.
The sheeple never see or touch this truth because governments here centered on easy votes and what to tell the useful idiots. Our downfall.
Guarantee you won't see a relevant comment here regarding this from our very own spin doctor.

[blackpowder]

Either way low cost energy long gone.
Everyone admits renewable a partial fill at best until some yet to be discovered tech comes along.
Building costs going up regardless.
Decades to build.
Someone better pick a horse soon.
Never get a decision from spin doctors.