REGINA — SaskPower says its electrical grid remained stable throughout the weekend as a powerful and widespread winter storm strained power systems across much of central and eastern North America.
While more than half a million U.S. customers lost electricity on Sunday morning, the Crown corporation says Saskatchewan continued to meet its own demand and supplied power to neighbouring regions facing shortages.
The storm system delivered extreme cold, heavy snow and freezing rain from west Texas to eastern Canada, creating major strain on grids already pushed by prolonged low temperatures. Demand surged as temperatures plunged, but SaskPower says its system held firm.
“Powered by coal and natural gas, Saskatchewan’s grid is built to keep the lights on and homes warm even during the most extreme temperatures, when power is needed the most,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister Responsible for SaskPower. “In the years to come, we will continue to make decisions to ensure our communities and businesses can continue to grow, and that Saskatchewan can continue to grow as a net exporter.”
Throughout the storm, SaskPower exported power continuously from Friday evening through Monday morning. The utility sold the maximum 150 megawatts into the Southwest Power Pool, which supplies 14 U.S. midwestern states.
The corporation also used its interconnections with Alberta and Manitoba to move additional electricity into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator market, exporting up to 350 megawatts at the Manitoba border.
SaskPower says its fleet of natural gas- and coal-fired facilities carried the bulk of the load during the coldest stretch. On Saturday, when temperatures dropped below –30 C, natural gas accounted for 61 per cent of generation and coal provided another 29 per cent, making up 90 per cent of total supply.
System demand remained consistently above 3,500 megawatts through the weekend.
The province says last fall’s Energy Security Strategy Plan is intended to guide future decisions on grid reliability, affordability and long-term transmission investments. The document outlines the government’s approach to ensuring the province remains “strong, safe and secure” as it plans for future power needs.
Harrison said the recent cold snap underscores the importance of reliability. “This is exactly when our system needs to perform, and it did,” he said. “We will continue to ensure Saskatchewan people have the dependable and affordable power they expect.”
