Sheila Bautz
Special to the Herald
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment is providing funding to assist in establishing the crucial balance between conservation and infrastructure development for Saskatchewan residents while lowering toxic greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).
The Saskatchewan government allotted the Ministry of Environment a robust budget in the 2025-26 Budget for the protection of all wildlife species and to ensure the natural environment is maintained and sustained during important projects. Such projects include vital SaskPower infrastructure in northern communities.
“Environmental stewardship and economic growth go hand in hand,” said Travis Keisig, the Saskatchewan Minister of Environment. “The investments in this budget will ensure sustainable habitats for fish and wildlife, advance innovation and support the transition to a lower emission electricity grid – all while maintaining affordability and reliability.”
The emission electricity grid involves the Grid Emission Factor (GEF), which also applies to natural gas, solar and waste-to-energy generation sources. GEF affects the greenhouse gas emissions.
The SaskPower Crown corporation 2024-25 capital investment program includes $555 million specifically towards sustainment activities. This includes repairs and upgrades to aging power generation, transmissions and the power distribution infrastructure. A record $1.5 billion was invested by SaskPower during the 2024-25 fiscal year. This increase of $284 million over the previous year ensures the Crown corporation modernizes and promotes various forms of growth to sustain Saskatchewan’s electricity system.
The Saskatchewan Ministry responsible for SaskPower reported an additional $855 million was allocated to promote what is stated as growth projects, such as the new power generation facilities with an expansion of the grid capacity. There was also an investment of approximately $87 million on various strategic investments, such as the Regina Operations and Maintenance Complex.
“Our government and SaskPower are committed to delivering the reliable and affordable power that Saskatchewan families, businesses and communities need to grow and thrive,” said Jeremy Harrison, the Minister Responsible for SaskPower. “During the past year, SaskPower made record investments in electricity generating stations and transmission and distribution systems to ensure a stable supply of power for customers while keeping bills as low as possible.”
One notable SaskPower Crown corporation accomplishment focused on the first custom-built community microgrid in April 2025. The microgrid infrastructure provides power to the small northern community of Descharme Lake. Descharme Lake is remote community approximately 600 km north of Prince Albert.
“Our company continued to prioritize local and Indigenous vendors as we worked to modernize and grow our power system during the past year,” said Rupen Pandya, CEO and President of SaskPower. “As we build a system that provides reliable and affordable power for all, our path forward will continue to focus on meaningful engagement with customers, Indigenous Rightsholders as well as business and industry stakeholders across Saskatchewan.”
The 2025-26 Budget for the Ministry of Environment includes several key investments. There is an allocated $933,000 towards the province’s 20-year Habitat Management Plan (HMP) to support resilient, biologically diverse provincial landscapes. This is in alignment with the Growth Plan’s focus on environmental stewardship.
The conservation focus remains on a feasible strategy to balance infrastructure developments with natural habitats and wildlife conservation. To accomplish this, the Ministry of Environment is incorporating science-based solutions to ensure the sustainability of fish and wildlife habitats in Saskatchewan.
The public commitment from the Saskatchewan Minister of Environment budgeted an additional $1.5 million above the HMP allocated funds for woodland caribou habitat restoration. The projects will also provide northern Saskatchewan with economic benefits through employment creation and business opportunities.
The areas providing the renewed income source include project planning, site preparation and various restoration work. The restoration work through maintaining a vibrant and healthy ecosystem in the Boreal Forest landscape is a top priority and supports the Growth Plan’s goal to double the forest sector by 2030.
In 2025-26, the Clean Electricity Transition Grant increased to nearly $175 million to fund the advancement of infrastructures and technology in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the electricity sector. This Ministry of Environment states that the funding is needed to support clean electricity operating costs. This includes power purchase agreements and renewable power imports to maintain power affordability while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
To provide additional opportunities for industries to reduces GHG emissions by implementing cutting-edge projects that improve energy efficiency, the Saskatchewan Technology Fund has been doubled to $50 million. The funding will also ensure that Saskatchewan retains provincial industries and employment opportunities and security in the province.
The importance of the Saskatchewan Technology Fund is the dedication to the Output-Based Performance Standards Program. The program’s design focuses on reducing harmful GHG emissions while strengthening the protection of families, businesses, the province’s economic competitiveness and employment opportunities.
The Ministry of Environment 2025-26 Budget includes a large disbursal of additional grants to SARCAN. SARCAN is a leader in environmental protection, job creation and economic growth through its Saskatchewan-wide recycling network. The increase is approximately $600,000 with allocated funding to be distributed through the Beverage Container Collection and Recycling Program.
Vital infrastructures continue build momentum and progress with benefits for northern communities and all people in the province of Saskatchewan. The continued public statements of commitment and cooperation from the provincial government aims to create a healthy balance and relationships as they provide important infrastructure developments for northern Saskatchewan residents.
