Press Release: Court to hear case on Saskatchewan’s decision to extend coal
PRESS RELEASE
Saskatchewan Environmental Society
November 10, 2025
For immediate release
Court to hear case on Saskatchewan’s decision to extend coal power to 2050
Today, November 10, 2025, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, Citizens for Public Justice, and three residents of Saskatchewan and Manitoba—Sherry Olson, Kiké Dueck, and Matthew Wiens—will appear before the Court of King’s Bench in Saskatoon, for a hearing in our legal challenge (KB – SA – 0865 of 2025) against the Government of Saskatchewan’s “Coal Decision”—a directive that instructs SaskPower to refurbish and continue operating coal-fired electricity generating stations beyond the federally mandated phase-out date of December 31, 2029. This would make Saskatchewan the only province in Canada planning to operate conventional coal-fired power plants after that deadline.
The provincial government has filed a motion to strike the case before it can be heard, and today’s hearing will determine whether the case moves forward. We are asking the Court to allow the judicial review to proceed and to grant an interim stay of the provincial government’s decision to refurbish Saskatchewan’s coal-fired power plants to extend their service life beyond 2030.
Due to its heavy reliance on coal, Saskatchewan accounts for 24% of the greenhouse gas pollution Canada releases into the atmosphere each year from electricity generation. Given that Saskatchewan has 3% of Canada’s population, this is an unacceptable level of pollution, particularly at a time when the world faces a climate change emergency caused by the burning of coal and other fossil fuels.
Ongoing use of coal-fired power by Saskatchewan threatens the rights and wellbeing of all Canadians by releasing harmful pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to extreme heat, wildfires, drought, water scarcity, and poor air quality—all of which affect human health and safety.
Four reasons the Coal Decision should be reviewed by the Court:
- This isn’t just a policy decision; it directs immediate action. The Coal Decision instructs SaskPower to take concrete steps to refurbish and extend the life of coal-fired power plants, making it a binding administrative action that has immediate consequences for communities, public health, and the climate. In our view, it is therefore judiciable by the Court.
- It conflicts with Canada’s legal and international commitments. Extending coal-fired power into the 2040s undermines federally mandated coal phase-out timelines and makes it harder for Canada to meet its Paris Agreement targets.
- The Court has the authority and legitimacy to review it. Even high-level government decisions must comply with the law when they have real-world effects. This decision will clearly violate the federal coal regulations and federal Clean Electricity Regulations.
- The issue at stake cannot be resolved without the provincial government providing a full record of proceedings related to their decision to extend coal-fired generation to 2050, which they have not yet done. The provincial government’s attempt to strike this case should not proceed before the Court examines all evidence, including the decision’s factual and legal basis.
Quotes from the Applicants:
Bob Halliday — Vice President, Saskatchewan Environmental Society: “Refurbishing Saskatchewan’s aging coal plants would come at an enormous cost, potentially close to a billion dollars, for infrastructure that was never meant to run this long. Past coal refurbishments have gone far over budget, and SaskPower itself had no plans to pursue these costly repairs until ordered by Cabinet. Investing in outdated, high-emissions technology diverts public funds from affordable, renewable power for Saskatchewan’s future.”
Peter Prebble — Board Member, Saskatchewan Environmental Society: “Coal-fired power generation is the most polluting forms of energy, releasing large quantities of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, mercury, sulphur dioxide, and fine particulate matter into the atmosphere. These pollutants are linked to respiratory illness, acid rain, and climate change. Extending coal use for another nearly 25 years is a step backwards that threatens both human health and the stability of our climate.”
Willard Metzger — Executive Director, Citizens for Public Justice: “We’re going to court today because our governments are neglecting their duty to protect people and our shared home. The Government of Saskatchewan is making an unwise bet on coal—a polluting energy source that harms people here and around the globe—and the federal government is neglecting to enforce its own climate regulations. This case is an urgent moral call for climate justice.”
Kiké Dueck, 12-year-old Regina resident and individual Applicant: “The world is taking action on climate change, and we need to do the same here in Saskatchewan. Our provincial government says that they’re helping people and saving jobs by continuing to use coal, but if they truly wanted to help the people, they would help us transition to renewable energy. This case is worth the Court’s time, because we need to move forward—not backwards.”
Sherry Olson, Saskatoon resident and individual Applicant: “This decision represents a clear failure to uphold our legal climate commitments, and it will directly result in hundreds of million tonnes of unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. How can the Saskatchewan government justify this when the costs of droughts, wildfires, and other climate change-related disasters continue to escalate, damaging people’s health, wellbeing, and our economy?”
Matthew Wiens, Manitoba resident and individual Applicant: “Canada talks about the ‘rule of law,’ but too often governments find loopholes to protect polluters. This case is about holding governments to account and ensuring that Saskatchewan, and Canada, chooses a just energy future—one that, in my view, moves beyond fossil fuels, consumes energy much more thoughtfully, and harnesses renewable power.”
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