Browsing by Author "Dolter, Brett"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Any Risk Is Unacceptable
    (Canadian Plains Research Center, 2010-10) Arbuthnott, Katherine; Dolter, Brett
    In the spring and summer of 2009 the Saskatchewan provincial government held a consultation process to elicit citizen views on expanding the nuclear industry (UDP 2009). Thousands of citizens participated in the consultation process, and an overwhelming majority of participants opposed the expansion of the nuclear industry (Perrins 2009). We used qualitative methods to study stakeholder submissions to the Saskatchewan consultation process. We wanted to understand why the majority of citizens opposed the expansion of the nuclear industry, and why the government, the nuclear industry, and some citizens supported nuclear expansion. Our results suggest that those who oppose nuclear power do so primarily because they possess different cultural identities and value priorities than those who support nuclear power. Our findings offer insight into the academic literature around risk perception, environmental conflict, and environmental values.
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    The cost effectiveness of new reservoir hydroelectricity: British Columbia’s Site C project
    (Elsevier, 2022-09) Dolter, Brett; Fellows, G. Kent; Rivers, Nicholas
    Large-scale, reservoir hydroelectric facilities can play an important role in decarbonizing the electricity sector. However, new hydroelectric facilities are costly, and several recent projects in Canada have been subject to cost over-runs. In this paper, we develop a methodology for evaluating the cost-effectiveness of new reservoir hydroelectric projects. We apply this methodology to a case study of the Site C hydroelectric project currently under construction in British Columbia, Canada. Our approach makes use of a purpose-built linear programming capacity expansion and dispatch model, resolved at an hourly frequency and incorporating detailed treatment of balancing area requirements, available wind and solar resources, watershed constraints on hydroelectric potential, and endogenous electricity trade. Our simulations reveal that the value of the Site C project is unlikely to exceed its total cost, and only exceeds the avoidable cost of project cancellation in scenarios where BC and Alberta build additional inter-provincial transmission capacity and aim for 100% decarbonization of their electricity systems. Site C provides a cautionary tale for policymakers and planners pursuing large hydro-electric projects. Potential cost over-runs can render large hydroelectric projects uneconomic relative to alternatives. The decision to complete the Site C project is only justified by its high sunk costs.
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    Exploring Social Learning in Yorkton Following the 2010, 2014 and 2016 Floods
    (Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2021-06) Salman, Alida; Hurlbert, Margot; Dupeyron, Bruno; Warren, James; Mou, Haizhen; Dolter, Brett
    The objective of this study is to explore whether social learning has occurred in Yorkton following the flood events that the City experienced in 2010, 2014 and 2016. The study also aims to understand the factors that impacted social learning’s occurrence, its interrelation with the window of opportunity, and the outcomes that it produced. The data for this study came from 15 semi-structured interviews and 110 newspaper articles on the flood events and the infrastructure upgrades. The data showed that the flood experience and the interactions and communications between the City, the Council and the public have produced social learning. However, this learning has been mainly single-loop learning, with some indicators exhibiting double loop learning. While the data revealed no explicit barriers to social learning, the perception that the public cannot contribute to stormwater management issues may have inhibited the degree of social learning that was achieved in Yorkton. In addition, the 2010 flood opened a window of opportunity for change, allowing the City and the Council to introduce a number of expensive upgrades. The subsequent floods contributed to keeping the window open. Furthermore, the data showed that social learning and the window of opportunity are interrelated. As a result of social learning and the policy window that opened after the flood, Yorkton is now more prepared to deal with future events, both in terms of prevention as well as emergency response. However, it was found that social learning is diminishing as a result of the passage of time and the false sense of safety that the infrastructure upgrades created. The diminishing of social learning has policy implications for Yorkton as the city has not yet implemented all the proposed upgrades.
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    Greening the Saskatchewan grid: A case study in deliberative energy modelling
    (Elsevier, 2021-01-29) Dolter, Brett
    This paper presents a case study of deliberative energy modelling focused on the future of electricity in Saskatchewan, Canada. Participants included representatives from the provincial electricity utility and from environmental organizations. These diverse social actors participated in defining the desired scope and output of the model, providing data and insights that were incorporated into the model, and conducting extended peer review of modelling assumptions and design. Participants then attended a face-to-face workshop to co-create scenarios for Saskatchewan's electricity future using an interactive version of the electricity futures model. The interactive model served as a platform for discussing the social, environmental, and economic impacts of competing scenarios. Post-workshop analysis indicates that the deliberative energy modelling process contributed to participant learning, increased trust and communication amongst participants, reinforced the idea that wind energy could play a greater role in the Saskatchewan electricity system, and contributed to an increased focus on deliberative engagement at the Saskatchewan electricity utility SaskPower. The process did not, however, lead to consensus on the proportion of electricity that could be provided by renewable energy in Saskatchewan.
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    Regina’s 100% Renewable Energy Target: Survey Results Measuring Support for the Target and Related Actions
    (Regina Energy Futures Project, 2020-09) Bardutz, Emily; Dolter, Brett