NDP Reveals Leaked SaskPower $26B Coal Extension Estimate

In Regina, Saskatchewan's Opposition New Democrats revealed leaked SaskPower documents on Wednesday estimating the total cost of extending the life of the province's coal-fired power plants at 26 billion Canadian dollars over 25 years, prompting a sharp rebuttal from the provincial government.

The figures, drawn from a presentation to the SaskPower board in spring 2025, project annual expenses of about 1 billion dollars. They encompass capital investments, operations, transmission upgrades, and fuel costs through a planned transition to nuclear energy. NDP Leader Carla Beck described the amount as "staggering" and argued that equivalent funding could support new natural gas plants or a small modular nuclear reactor instead.

Crown Investments Minister Jeremy Harrison, who oversees SaskPower, countered that the government's capital investment figure of 2.6 billion dollars remains accurate. He emphasized that the leaked slides incorporate broader expenses over decades, while the core refurbishment costs align with official estimates. SaskPower Vice-President Gregg Milbrandt supported this view, affirming the lower capital projection.

The exchange escalated Thursday in the...