Strengthening Saskatchewan’s Grid: Harrison releases plan for electrical transmission upgrades
By Brian Zinchuk
SASKATOON - With demand for electricity rising because of growth in mining, population, data centres, artificial intelligence and electric vehicles, Saskatchewan’s power grid will need major upgrades in the coming decades. Experts say North American grids may need to roughly double in size by 2050 to meet that demand.
On Feb. 23, Minister of Crown Investments Corp. and SaskPower minister Jeremy Harrison released Strengthening Saskatchewan’s Grid: Transmission to Power Communities and Growth, a plan to expand the province’s electrical transmission system within Saskatchewan and to neighbouring jurisdictions. The strategy builds on the Saskatchewan First Energy Security Strategy and Supply Plan released in October.
The announcement was made at JNE Welding in Saskatoon, where new transmission towers are being built with steel from Regina. Harrison emphasised that transmission — the network of high-voltage lines that carries electricity from generation sites to homes and businesses — is “what makes our power grid work.”
Saskatchewan’s transmission network spans about 15,000 kilometres, roughly the same as the entire United Kingdom, but serves a population a fraction of its size.
The plan’s priorities include:
Northern transmission: Developing infrastructure in northern Saskatchewan and linking the currently separate northern and southern grids — a move seen as essential for energy security and to support new mining projects.
Grid reinforcement: Upgrading and maintaining existing transmission lines to improve reliability, safety and capacity.
Expanded interconnections: Strengthening links to neighbouring systems, including Alberta and Manitoba, and the Southwest Power Pool in the U.S., to enhance resilience and increase export opportunities.
Harrison said expanding transmission is central to the province’s energy security strategy, attracting investment and ensuring reliable, affordable power now and in the future.
Plans are already under way to boost export capacity to the U.S. and upgrade interties with other grids, part of a long-term vision to reinforce Saskatchewan’s role in the wider North American electricity system.
With files from www.pipelineonline.ca