What’s in a Name?

We are often asked the question: “What’s the difference between Yukon Energy and Yukon Electrical Company Ltd?” With two utilities operating in the territory with very similar names, it’s understandable that you might confuse the two.

Simply put, there are three separate functions in supplying you with electricity – the power is produced, it’s transmitted to your community, and then it’s delivered to your home or business.

Yukon Energy produces and transmits most of Yukon’s electricity. The hydro facilities at the dam site in Whitehorse, in Mayo, and at Aishihik belong to Yukon Energy, as do the two wind turbines on Haeckel Hill. Yukon Energy is also the owner of the major transmission lines that run throughout the territory. You will sometimes hear these referred to as "grids": the Whitehorse–Aishihik–Faro grid in Southern Yukon and the Mayo–Dawson City grid further north.

While Yukon Energy does sell power directly to customers in Mayo, Dawson City, Faro and a few smaller communities, the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. is the main distributor of power in the territory. Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. buys power from us and then sells it to most businesses and individuals.

There’s another difference between the two companies: Yukon Energy is owned by the Yukon Development Corporation, a Crown Corporation of the Yukon government. That means that Yukon Energy is a publicly owned company. Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. is a privately owned company of the ATCO Corporation in Alberta.

If you’re not sure who supplies you with power, check your electric bill. If it’s from Yukon Energy, then we are your power supplier. If you have any concerns about your electricity, you are encouraged to contact us. If your bill is from Yukon Electrical Company Ltd., then it is your supplier and you should speak with that company if you have questions or concerns. That being said, we are happy to answer any general questions you might have.