This week a new and damning submission opposed to the $136-million hike emerged from the Saskatchewan Industrial Energy Consumer Association (SIECA), which is made up of 20 major industry leaders. SIECA argues they weren’t consulted on the power hike and said the lack of transparency around the decision “creates broader uncertainty regarding the investment climate in Saskatchewan.” SIECA also warned that the Sask. Party’s decision to retrofit aging coal plants and attempt to keep them running for another 25 years could put a chill on investment.
The Official Opposition obtained slides presented to SIECA by SaskPower last week, just days before their damning letter was sent to the Rate Review Panel.
SIECA’s opposition to the power rate hike added to a growing chorus of stakeholder opposition that already includes the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business — the latter spoke out against the hike to media for a second time on Thursday.
“Clearly, this was a power rate hike that Scott Moe and Jeremy Harrison tried to slide through and hope no one would stand up against them,” said Aleana Young, SaskPower Shadow Minister. “Leaders across Saskatchewan’s economy are speaking up and saying that this decision will kill jobs and drive away investment. The Premier either doesn’t care about that or didn’t know what his Minister Jeremy Harrison was up to. He should step forward and put a stop to this mess today.”
Moe hasn’t spoken to reporters since the SIECA letter emerged. On Thursday, he skipped a traditional scrum in the legislature following the passage of his bad news budget.
That budget carries a deficit of $819 million; however, it surfaced Thursday that the decision to retrofit coal plants will actually cost at least $700 million more than originally projected.
“Scott Moe’s bad news budget is only going to get worse and ultimately hardworking Saskatchewan people will pay the price,” Young said. “He’s going to double power rates, drive away good-paying jobs and cripple our economy.
“This has to stop right here and right now. It’s time for change.”
In 2024-25, SaskPower created more than 40,000 installment payment plans because their customers were behind on paying their power bills. The Crown has collected $46 million in power bill late fees since 2020.
Financial anxiety in Saskatchewan has consistently been rated the highest in Canada for more than a year.
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