|
News from week of September 28th – October 5th, 2026
Disclaimer: Grid Watch is an independent publication. Views expressed are author's own and do not reflect the positions of Manitoba Hydro or any other featured utility.
Canada’s Power Plans Grow as Demand Keeps ClimbingSaskatchewan unveiled plans for large nuclear reactors as Quebec moved to charge data centres more and drought squeezed Manitoba’s hydro supply.
In this week's issue...
☢️ Saskatchewan plans two large nuclear reactors, with the first potentially online by 2042 ⚖️ Hydro-Québec asks its regulator to nearly double the power rate for large data centres 🌊 Drought left Manitoba Hydro importing almost as much power as it exported last year 
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to the media at a meeting of western premiers in Kananaskis, Alta. Source: The Globe and Mail. National HeadlinesCanada’s first-ever project of national interest under PM Carney revealedBNN Bloomberg, October 1st 2026 Ottawa has designated Pacific Link, a proposed 1,200-kilometre oil pipeline from Bruderheim, Alta., to Delta, B.C., as the first project of national interest under the Building Canada Act. The line would carry about one million additional barrels a day, mainly to Asian markets. The designation deems a series of authorizations approved and fast-tracks regulatory review once a proponent files a project information document, expected early in 2027. No private proponent has yet committed to fully fund it. LNG Canada to move forward with Phase 2 expansion project in Kitimat, B.C.CBC News, September 29th 2026 LNG Canada says its Phase 2 expansion in Kitimat, B.C., is going ahead. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the roughly $33-billion private investment will make it the second-largest facility of its kind in the world. The expansion would double export capacity at the plant, which shipped its first cargo last year, and create up to 4,000 jobs at peak construction. The joint venture is owned by Shell, Petronas, PetroChina, Mitsubishi and Korea Gas Corp. PerspectiveElectricity projects are the backbone of Canada’s economy and the most important pages in the Prime Minister’s pitchbookCanadian Climate Institute, September 17th 2026 Canadian Climate Institute researchers Kate Harland and Nayantara Sudhakar Hemani argue that electricity projects should lead Ottawa’s pitch to global investors, because every other major project depends on them. Drawing on the institute’s Power Play report, which compared Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and B.C. with leading jurisdictions abroad, they find industrial demand rising much faster than utilities planned for, with supply for less than half of the projects already waiting to connect. Citing Dunsky Energy + Climate Advisors, they warn Canada could miss more than $200 billion in investment. Their prescription: plan grids around expected industrial growth, build more interprovincial transmission and battery storage, use federal financing to scale behind-the-meter storage, and finalize flexible Clean Electricity Regulations to give investors a clear signal.
Regional RoundupManitoba Hydro imported almost as much power as it sold in 2025-26CBC News, September 30th 2026 Drought in the Lake Winnipeg basin left Manitoba Hydro buying $529 million in fuel and electricity in 2025-26 against $569 million in extra-provincial sales, according to its annual report. The $40-million gap, down from a $620-million export surplus a year earlier, nearly erased Manitoba’s standing as a net exporter. It was the largest driver of Hydro’s $446-million deficit, which the report says would have been deeper without a reduced provincial dividend and a capital tax exemption.
Construction of Bell Canada’s AI data centre in Saskatchewan scaling upGlobal News, October 2nd 2026 Framing is done on three of four data halls at Bell Canada’s $1.7-billion, 300-megawatt AI data centre southeast of Regina, with the first two halls set to start operating in the first half of 2027. Bell plans to quadruple the site to 1.2 gigawatts, a roughly $50-billion expansion that would need its own dedicated natural gas plant. Crown investments minister Jeremy Harrison touted the progress as the Opposition again urged the province to consult before building. Policy & PricingHydro-Québec wants to double data centre costs, Google and others prepare rebuttalCTV News, October 1st 2026 Hydro-Québec told the Régie de l’énergie it must act urgently to keep data centres from driving up costs for other customers, proposing a new rate for facilities needing more than five megawatts. Their average energy price would rise to about 13 cents per kilowatt-hour from 6.82 cents today. Data centres covered by the rate use 190 MW at peak and could reach 1,000 MW by 2035. Google and environmental groups including Greenpeace are intervening. 
Prime Minister Mark Carney and B.C. NDP Leader David Eby at the LNG Canada Phase 2 announcement. Source: CBC News. FERC rejects TransAlta 202(c) cost-recovery plan for Centralia unitUtility Dive, October 2nd 2026 The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected Calgary-based TransAlta’s plan to recover $19.9 million for keeping its 730-MW coal-fired Centralia plant in Washington available under a Department of Energy emergency order that blocked its planned retirement at the end of 2025. FERC said the plan reached too far geographically, including costs assigned to the California Independent System Operator, and ruled only Northwest utilities should pay. TransAlta expects to spend another $23 million on repairs to keep the unit available. Innovation & TransitionSaskatchewan to build two large nuclear reactors, Moe saysThe Globe and Mail, September 29th 2026 Premier Scott Moe says Saskatchewan will pursue two large nuclear reactors in the province’s northwest, possibly along the North Saskatchewan River, with the first online as early as 2042. Together they would supply 2,600 megawatts by 2050. SaskPower will evaluate sites and consult nearby communities, and the province is open to private financing and Indigenous equity partnerships, though no cost estimate has been given. Saskatchewan, the world’s second-largest uranium producer, also continues to study a small modular reactor near Estevan.
Nova Scotia’s new EV fee raises bigger questions for drivers across CanadaGlobal News, October 2nd 2026 As of Oct. 1, Nova Scotia charges electric vehicle owners $500 every two years on top of their registration fee, and plug-in hybrid owners $250, making it the latest province to add such a levy. The government says the fee helps pay for road repairs because EV drivers do not pay provincial gas tax, and Premier Tim Houston has pointed to EV wear and tear on highways. Some drivers call it an unfair cash grab.
Worth NotingSaint John residents worry about a second large data centre proposal. Read More CBC News, October 5th 2026 Grande Prairie County weighs data centre permit rules after resident concerns. Read More CBC News, October 4th 2026 Toronto heritage home reportedly bought by Hydro One may be demolished. Read More CBC News, October 5th 2026 Delayed and cancelled EV battery projects test Canada’s multibillion-dollar bet. Read More CBC News, October 3rd 2026 Enjoying this brief? Share it with a colleague. Subscribe to Grid Watch hereHave a news story we should cover, a tip, or thoughts on this edition? Send it over. Want to reach this audience? Sponsor a future edition. |
||||||||||
|
Grid Watch | By Action Intelligence Group (AIG) | 421 Mulvey Ave, Winnipeg, MB, Canada | © 2026 Action Intelligence Group. All rights reserved. |
