Rally in Regina calls on province to move to net-zero emissions by 2035

People rallied in front of SaskPower headquarters in Regina Friday, calling for the province to move toward 100 per cent clean electricity and net-zero emissions by 2035.

"We are one of the only provinces that are saying we can't do this and everyone else is working toward that goal," rally co-organizer Sydney Taylor said.

She noted the timing of the rally, planned weeks ago, turned out to be perfect after the federal government announced draft regulations on Thursday for a net-zero emission electrical grid by the year 2035.

Federal officials said 84 per cent of Canada's electrical grid is already powered by non-emitting sources such as wind, hydro and nuclear. Billions of dollars worth of subsidies will be on offer to help provinces advance further, but provinces may have to agree to the 2035 target to access funding.

"This is achievable for us," Taylor said. "There is federal funding for this and if we accept that, it's going to be a lot easier. We just have to work together."

Taylor noted Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck issued a statement Thursday saying the 2035 goal is unachievable due to Saskatchewan's years of inaction under the Sask. Party government, but Taylor disagreed, saying the transition is still very possible.

"We need to start now and I hope the opposition listens to climate experts and has our back on this," Taylor said.

Another rally co-organizer, Mac Findlay, said the gathering was a coalition of concerned citizens and organizations. He said with technological advancements, renewable energy sources have become more cost effective, affordable and reliable.

"But we have some folks in our provincial government who want to delay action," Findlay said. "We can source most of our electricity in this decade from clean sources if we start investing now."

'Need some leadership'

Kaitlyn Harvey, director of Climate Action Saskatchewan, a non-profit based out of Saskatoon, said it's "imperative" to reduce emissions and ensure the electricity grid is clean.

"To have the federal government taking the lead is absolutely necessary. It's unfortunate that our provincial government and parties are so opposed to any serious climate action," she said.

Harvey said the rest of the world is upgrading their grids while Saskatchewan politicians are taking stances "that don't align with reality". 

"We need some leadership and vision as opposed to pointing fingers and blaming each other."

She said Saskatchewan has a great opportunity to be a world leader in wind and solar power, but provincial leaders play down its economic potential, including for job creation.

"Why be a leader if you can't say, 'Yes we can' and try to find ways to make it happen?" Harvey said. "We've known climate change is an issue for a long time but they've instead sat on their hands and gaslighted the people of Saskatchewan."

'Not achievable'

In a news conference Friday, Premier Scott Moe maintained his stance that the goal of net-zero by 2035 is unachievable.

"It's not achievable. It's unrealistic. And those are SaskPower's words, not mine," Moe said.

A spokesperson for SaskPower said in an emailed statement that reaching net zero by 2035 isn't feasible.

"Saskatchewan has relied on fossil fuel to generate power for decades, so we have a long way to reach net-zero, so do provinces like Alberta and Nova Scotia. Even hydro-rich Manitoba has challenges meeting the 2035 target," the statement said.

Wind, solar and hydro generation make up about 34 per cent of Saskatchewan's generating capacity, or 1,854 megawatts, the statement said. SaskPower plans to add up to 3,000 megawatts in renewable energy by 2035.

Moe said accelerating the switch would have an impact on the cost of living in Saskatchewan, given the costs of investing in new generation capacity and shutting down assets that still have useful years of service.

"It certainly isn't going to be affordable as it will at least double the power rates in the province, so we can't afford it," he said. "We can't actually do it by 2035. We might be able to achieve that by 2050."