Not only does SaskPower have to review all of the options for green energy in our province and how they will reduce carbon emissions, but the Crown Corporation is also looking at how each source affects the environment, the land, the people and the wildlife around it.

Manager of Environmental Assessment and Approvals, Jennifer Sargent, explained during a free public engagement webinar about hitting the greenhouse gas emissions targets that SaskPower is assessing the impact through each power source’s life cycle, whether its wind, solar, hydro, battery storage, natural gas with carbon capture or nuclear.

She gave the example of taking into consideration how recyclable all the materials would be at the end of their lifecycle and how they affect the environment.
Another example would be the amount of land needed for wind turbines or solar power, or the placement of a project possibly affecting the natural landscape, which could then affect plant and animal life.

The head of SaskPower’s Environment and Issues Management team, Bruce Howard, believes that having a suite of power options is the best way to go to reach net zero. He says, “I think that’s one of the strengths of being in Saskatchewan where there is not magic bullet for the perfect approach. The more diversity we have in our portfolio, I think that makes us stronger and a little bit less at risk of change as we go forward.”