Province granted more control
The federal government has agreed to give Saskatchewan control over how it cuts greenhouse gas emissions from its coal-fired power plants.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and Saskatchewan Environment Minister Ken Cheveldayoff announced Friday they have agreed to strike a so-called "equivalency agreement," which will devolve more regulatory responsibilities to the province.
"Basically what we're doing is eliminating duplication," Kent said in an interview.
Under the new deal, Kent said, federal greenhouse gas emissions regulations will "stand down" in favour of provincial regulations, as long as the provincial regulation achieves an equivalent or better environmental outcome.
The announcement came as the province received a failing grade on a new environmental report card by Corporate Knights Magazine. The scathing report gives Saskatchewan a C grade, naming it the worst ecological laggard in Canada mainly due to high energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Corporate Knights' Green Provincial Report Card penalized Saskatchewan for releasing the most greenhouse gases per capita in Canada and for having the largest increase in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2009 in the country.
With such a bad track record, Corporate Knights managing editor Jeremy Runnalis said, Saskatchewan does not deserve any more responsibility on the environmental front.
"Especially on the (greenhouse gas) portfolio - across the board - (Saskatchewan) is performing terribly," he said. "They're at the bottom of almost everything."
Kent says the new equivalency deal is part of a broader government search for ways to meet Canada's Copenhagen summit commitment to cut 17 per cent of 2005 greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Kent said the new regulations for coal-fired power plants will be announced in the summer and will include more stringent performance and emissions standards.
Kent said he is trying to strike equivalency deals with other provinces that depend heavily on coal, having reached an agreement with Nova Scotia in April. Relevant provincial legislation will have to be drafted by each province.
Saskatchewan has three coal-fired power plants - the Shand, Boundary Dam and Poplar River Power Stations - in the province's south.
Cheveldayoff says the agreement will provide the flexibility needed to implement clean coal and carbon capture and storage technol-ogy at Boundary Dam 3 and other coal-fired plants in Saskatchewan.
"Saskatchewan looks forward to working with the federal government to negotiate an equivalency agreement that reflects our unique circumstances and advances the technology and innovation required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Cheveldayoff said in a statement.
SaskPower president Robert Watson said the $1.2-billion Boundary Dam carbon capture and storage project still needs more time to fine tune, and coal will be a major part of Saskatchewan's energy future.
"About 50 per cent of our power production comes from the coal fleet, so we have a vested interest in keeping the coal fleet in operation for years to come," he said. "The (power stations) sit on, arguably, about a 300-year supply of coal."
Kent called Saskatchewan a "world leader in carbon capture and storage," and said he hopes these innovations reach far beyond provincial borders.
"We're really pleased with the way that project is going, and hope that technology will eventually be shared with other operators, and not just in Canada," he said.
The federal government has agreed to give Saskatchewan control over how it cuts greenhouse gas emissions from its coal-fired power plants.
Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and Saskatchewan Environment Minister Ken Cheveldayoff announced Friday they have agreed to strike a so-called "equivalency agreement," which will devolve more regulatory responsibilities to the province.
"Basically what we're doing is eliminating duplication," Kent said in an interview.
Under the new deal, Kent said, federal greenhouse gas emissions regulations will "stand down" in favour of provincial regulations, as long as the provincial regulation achieves an equivalent or better environmental outcome.
The announcement came as the province received a failing grade on a new environmental report card by Corporate Knights Magazine. The scathing report gives Saskatchewan a C grade, naming it the worst ecological laggard in Canada mainly due to high energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.
The Corporate Knights' Green Provincial Report Card penalized Saskatchewan for releasing the most greenhouse gases per capita in Canada and for having the largest increase in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2009 in the country.
With such a bad track record, Corporate Knights managing editor Jeremy Runnalis said, Saskatchewan does not deserve any more responsibility on the environmental front.
"Especially on the (greenhouse gas) portfolio - across the board - (Saskatchewan) is performing terribly," he said. "They're at the bottom of almost everything."
Kent says the new equivalency deal is part of a broader government search for ways to meet Canada's Copenhagen summit commitment to cut 17 per cent of 2005 greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Kent said the new regulations for coal-fired power plants will be announced in the summer and will include more stringent performance and emissions standards.
Kent said he is trying to strike equivalency deals with other provinces that depend heavily on coal, having reached an agreement with Nova Scotia in April. Relevant provincial legislation will have to be drafted by each province.
Saskatchewan has three coal-fired power plants - the Shand, Boundary Dam and Poplar River Power Stations - in the province's south.
Cheveldayoff says the agreement will provide the flexibility needed to implement clean coal and carbon capture and storage technol-ogy at Boundary Dam 3 and other coal-fired plants in Saskatchewan.
"Saskatchewan looks forward to working with the federal government to negotiate an equivalency agreement that reflects our unique circumstances and advances the technology and innovation required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Cheveldayoff said in a statement.
SaskPower president Robert Watson said the $1.2-billion Boundary Dam carbon capture and storage project still needs more time to fine tune, and coal will be a major part of Saskatchewan's energy future.
"About 50 per cent of our power production comes from the coal fleet, so we have a vested interest in keeping the coal fleet in operation for years to come," he said. "The (power stations) sit on, arguably, about a 300-year supply of coal."
Kent called Saskatchewan a "world leader in carbon capture and storage," and said he hopes these innovations reach far beyond provincial borders.
"We're really pleased with the way that project is going, and hope that technology will eventually be shared with other operators, and not just in Canada," he said.
