Alberta is leading the way in Canadian utilities’ deregulation, offering promises of more competition and lower prices. According to industry officials, the changes will also mean that Alberta will soon have surplus power from a variety of sources. And that electricity could become low-cost competition for Sask-atchewan Power Corporation. The first impacts, though, will be […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Job growth figures high on agenda
OTTAWA (Staff) – Prime minister Jean ChrŽtien last week promised his Liberal government will spend the last two years of its term promoting job growth, deficit reduction and security. He called on private employers to hire, rather than lay off workers as the economy begins to pick up. “Just as we have taken the lead […] Read more
Scientists cook ethanol with new cold process
SASKATOON – Ethanol plants are easy to spot on the prairie horizon by their telltale plume of steam, for now. Heat has always been the catalyst that reduces wheat starch into a solution that can be used for products such as ethanol, glue, syrup, plastic and chemicals. Heat is also a major cost in the […] Read more
Controversial photos
Reporters and photojournalists at the Western Producer are required to provide reportage of what they see and experience, accurately and within context. This statement may sound very bureaucratic, but journalism professionals take such words seriously. The photograph appearing on the Feb. 15 Producer front page has drawn several reader comments, condemning our publishing the image […] Read more
Special Report on Saskatchewan Power Corporation
Once upon a time, provision of accessible and affordable rural electricity stood as one of the proudest accomplish-ments of Saskatchewan’s CCF government. Evangelical leader T.C. Douglas promised to bring electricity to rural areas and farms, and he delivered. Half a century later, the CCF’s successor party again holds political power in Regina. But it views […] Read more
Getting power to the people
From his vantage point at the Saskatchewan Legislature, the cabinet minister responsible for Saskatchewan Power Corporation increasingly sees rural electricity delivery as a question of cost and subsidy. More precisely, it is a question of too much cost and too much subsidy. “SaskPower must change to become competitive,” said Eldon Lautermilch. “Our customers must pay […] Read more
Power talk
Cross Subsidies: A rate structure where one class of customer is charged an above-average price so that another class of customer can pay a below-average price. FERC: U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It controls about 30 percent of that country’s electricity transmission. Grid: A network of transmission lines, transformers and transmission stations for the movement […] Read more
SaskPower gets competitive
Saskatchewan farmers got the bad news from Saskatchewan Power Corporation in two stages last winter. First, there was notice of a 12 percent increase in rates. Then came notice of a monthly, $4.95 fee “for rebuilding infrastructure.” It was the beginning of what is expected to be a pattern of higher power rates for rural […] Read more
U.S. warns rural users to prepare for change
The changes Canadian electricity utilities now face are an echo of changes already experienced in the United States. There, like here, the system once was heavily regulated by all levels of government. Local power companies were established under the Rural Electrification Administration, similar to the Alberta model, and acted as buyers of the power generated […] Read more
Recycled plastic can be safer
SASKATOON – More than one million plastic pesticide containers are used each year in Canada and many are recycled. But how safe is that plastic? Research at the University of Guelph shows not all plastics are created equal. Fluorination of plastic containers can help repel the toxic products they contain, making them safer. The containers […] Read more
