As extreme weather strained power grids and causes outages throughout much of the central and eastern North America, SaskPower’s grid remained strong, and the Crown Corporation exported power to support neighbouring jurisdictions.

An exceptionally strong and lengthy winter storm brought extreme temperatures, heavy snow and freezing rain across a massive region stretching from west Texas to eastern Canada. On the morning of Sunday, January 25, more than 500,000 U.S. customers were without electricity.

From Friday evening through Monday morning SaskPower continuously sold the maximum of 150 MW into the Southwest Power Pool, the grid and wholesale market for 14 states in the United States Midwest. SaskPower also maintains interties with Alberta and Manitoba, and has sold up to 350 MW into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market at the US/Manitoba border during the weekend.

“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.”

As temperatures plunged below -30 C on Saturday, January 24, 61 per cent of SaskPower’s generation came from natural gas and 29 per cent came from coal, together accounting for 90 per cent of total generation. Average system demand remained consistently above 3,500 MW during the weekend.

The government of Saskatchewan laid out a realistic and deeply considered Energy Security Strategy Plan last fall to ensure the future for reliable and affordable power in Saskatchewan. The strategy also lays out a new path going forward on grid reliability and transmission investments. The government remains committed to ensuring Saskatchewan is strong, safe and secure.

For more information on power generation and conservation, visit saskpower.com.

At a glance...

• Saskatchewan’s grid remains strong and stable during cold snap
• SaskPower has exported power into neighbouring jurisdictions, supporting grids across the region
• More information can be found at saskpower.com