Yukon Energy has put on hold a proposal that would see changes to the fall water levels at MarshLake. The proposal was part of the energy company’s 20-year Resource Plan it filed in June with the Yukon Utilities Board. The Resource Plan addresses the Yukon’s major electrical generation and transmission needs from 2006 to 2025.
“The thinking was that if we could hold back an additional six to 12 inches of water in Marsh Lake during the fall, there would be enough extra water to produce an additional 1.6 megawatts of power during the winter months,” Yukon Energy president David Morrison said. “That would have saved ratepayers up to $1 million a year and would have reduced greenhouse gas emissions resulting from decreased use of diesel generation.”
However after meeting with residents of Marsh and Tagish Lakes, Yukon Energy has decided to remove this initiative from its near-term projects.
“Local residents are deeply concerned that this project could cause, among other things, major shoreline erosion,” Morrison said. “Until we can find ways of addressing this and other issues, it doesn’t make sense for us to proceed further. We will instead look at other options for generating additional electricity.”
The Yukon Utilities Board begins a public hearing into Yukon Energy’s Resource Plan on Nov. 14 at the Gold Rush Inn in Whitehorse.
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Contact:
Janet Patterson
Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation
(867) 393-5333
janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca
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