News & Events

Check this section for Yukon Energy's latest news and coming events.

If you have questions about any of the information posted here, please contact:

Lisa Wiklund
Manager, Community Relations
Yukon Energy Corporation
Phone: (867) 393-5398
Email: Lisa.Wiklund@yec.yk.ca

News, Community Involvement
Feb 07, 2014  Comment

It’s David and Goliath Time, and David Needs Our Support!

The Contagious Mountain Bike Club in Whitehorse and the Carcross Tagish First Nation are in the running in a national contest that could result in $10,000 of prize money for trail improvements at Montana Mountain in Carcross. But they need your support. And Yukon Energy is going to do what we can to help by topping up that amount. Here's the deal: the outdoor retailer Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) is inviting people to vote for their favourite mountain biking area in Canada. MEC has handpicked the Contagious Mountain Bike Club as one of the contestants, given all the great work the club has done over the years to develop and maintain Yukon trails.  If they win, the Contagious Mountain Bike Club will use the money to sponsor a Carcross Tagish First Nation initiative called the Singletrack to Success Project. The initiative puts young Carcross-Tagish First Nation members to work developing trails on Montana Mountain. But they are up against giants like Whistler, B.C. and Jasper, Alberta, and this contest is all based on most votes. So this is where all of us come in. For every person who votes for the Contagious Mountain Bike Club, Yukon Energy will donate a dollar to the cause, up to a maximum of $2,000. We'll provide that money to the club whether they win the $10,000 or not. However we feel by all working together, Yukon can come out on top in this contest. You can vote once a day between now and Feb. 25th, but you must be a Facebook member to vote.You can join the club's contest page or go straight to the voting page.  Photo credit: Derek Crowe
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Feb 13, 2014  Comment

Update on West Creek Hydro Project

There’s some good news regarding our quest for new sources of renewable energy. Yesterday, Yukon Energy and the Borough of Skagway renewed a Memorandum of Understanding that sees both parties continuing to work together on potential regional energy projects, including a 25-megawatt hydro dam at West Creek near Dyea. There are a number of reasons why the West Creek initiative looks promising. In particular, there are synergies in terms of supply and demand that are appealing to both Yukon Energy and Skagway. The West Creek project would provide clean, quiet power to cruise ships docked at Skagway in the summertime. During the winters, when there are no cruise ships at Skagway and Yukon’s energy demand is at its highest, Yukon Energy could purchase the excess renewable power. There’s another important benefit to West Creek being developed. If a transmission line were built between Skagway and Whitehorse, it would make other potential hydro projects located along the route more economically viable (right now possible projects such as Tutshi and Moon Lake would be expensive to develop because of the distance from transmission).  In a nutshell, the West Creek Hydro Project could go a long way to ensure energy security for both Skagway and Yukon. Yukon Energy President David Morrison and Skagway mayor Mark Schaefer renew the MOU for the West Creek hydro project.
News
Feb 20, 2014  Comment

Saying Good-bye to That Old Fridge

Are you looking to get rid of your old fridge? Did you know there’s a program that will not only give you cash towards a new energy efficient refrigerator, but also take away your old one for free? A few years ago, the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre (ESC), with a financial contribution from Yukon Energy, started a fridge retirement program as a pilot project. Over the last couple of years, 246 appliances were retired, resulting in almost 300,000 kWh in energy savings. Because of its success, ESC and Yukon Energy have decided to continue this initiative. Here's how it works: contact the Energy Solutions Centre and let them know you have one or two old fridges that you'd like to get rid of. The appliances must be in current use and they must be five or more years old. ESC will arrange for up to two appliances to be picked up and taken to the landfill. They'll pay the landfill tipping fee and you'll receive $50 towards the cost of each new fridge that you purchase! Most homeowners aren't aware that it can cost $100 or more per year to run an older fridge. This program doesn't just give financial incentives off the top, but it also provides ongoing energy bill savings, as the new energy efficient appliances require less electricity. Call The Energy Solutions Centre at 393-7063 or toll free in Yukon at 1-800-661-0408 ext. 7063 to register for this program. You can visit their website to get further details.
News
Feb 25, 2014  Comment

Connecting to the Grid

Are you a Yukoner who generates some of your own power using wind, solar or other renewable sources? If so, you now have the ability to connect to the transmission grid. The Yukon government, in partnership with Yukon Energy and Yukon Electrical Company Limited, has launched its micro-generation program. If you have questions about the program please contact one of the people listed at the bottom of this news release.
News, Community Involvement
Mar 04, 2014  Comment

This Calls for a Celebration!

We are very excited to hear the news that the Contagious Mountain Bike Club in Whitehorse has won the MEC Dirt Search Contest. We thought you'd like to read all about this from the club itself. Here what they wrote yesterday on their Facebook page: WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What happens when you combine mountain bikers, a First Nation, dedicated youth trail builders, generous local businesses, a proud territory, and supporters from across North America? $12,000 and a surprise ending, apparently!!  Proving that we can achieve great things when we join together, the Yukon has won the western division of MEC's Dirt Search contest, receiving more votes than the serious southern heavyweights we were up against. It was a close finish, and we can assure you that EVERY last one of your votes really made this seemingly "impossible" goal possible! As if the $10,000 MEC prize wasn't enough, our club received over 3 times the 2,000 votes it needed to realize the full $1 per vote (up to $2,000) pledge that Yukon Energy Corporation made early into the competition!  Thanks to all of you, youth trail builders will be out in full force this summer in Carcross. We are so excited for them and this amazing opportunity. Together we're going to do great things, Yukon. 
Energy Conservation
Mar 12, 2014  Comment

Local Case Study Re: LEDs

We've been talking recently about the benefits of moving to LED lighting. The lights are initially more expensive (currently one light costs between $15 and $25 here in Whitehorse stores) but they actually save a significant amount of money over the long term compared to the old incandescent bulbs and even the newer CFL lights, since the LEDs last up to 25 times longer than the old bulbs.  We recently received an email from the local company EDI Environmental Dynamics Inc. They have switched 95 percent of their lighting to LEDs, with great reviews from their staff. Here's part of the note from the company's branch manager Pat Tobler: "To move in our new office location, the building had to be renovated to suit our needs and as such the lighting had to be redone. Our staff was very keen on more natural and pleasant lighting alternatives to the typical florescent lighting that is found in many offices. We agreed track and pot lighting would be appropriate and when it came to bulb choice we had to decide between LED and halogen. The cost difference was significant for the 87 lights we needed ($3,000 for LED, $300 for halogen). We knew that the efficiency and extended bulb life would pay for itself over the length of our lease. In terms of quality, we went with a softer light (650 lumens). We are pleased to report that our staff is very happy with the lighting in our office. While the lights will pay for themselves over the term of our lease, we feel that they already have paid for themselves in terms of their contributions to the overall atmosphere of the office." It's great to hear reports like this. If you have experience with LEDs in your home or office that you'd like to share, please drop us a note or post something here. 
News, Energy Conservation
Mar 24, 2014  3

Earth Hour: Savor the Darkness

Earth Hour takes place this coming Saturday between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Turn out your lights and savor a moment of darkness. But remember…it’s about more than switching off your lights for an hour. It’s about taking action to reduce energy use year round. What will you do for Earth Hour? Tell us here on this blog, on our Facebook page or on Twitter and you could win a selection of energy saving products.
News
Mar 31, 2014  Comment

Great Showing By Yukoners For Earth Hour

Congratulations Yukoners! You reduced electricity consumption by about 1.5 megawatts during tonight's Earth Hour. That's up from about one megawatt last year and is in fact the most savings we've seen since we started tracking Earth Hour a few years ago!
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Apr 09, 2014  2

Business Opportunities Info Session

Attention Yukon businesses: if the Whitehorse Diesel to Natural Gas Conversion Project moves ahead this spring/summer, Yukon Energy will be looking to hire a number of construction contractors for work totaling several million dollars. The Corporation expects there will be opportunities for local sub-contractors as well. The principle contracts will be in the areas of civil, structural, mechanical, and electrical and instrumentation supply and installation. Yukon Energy is holding a business opportunities information meeting: Tuesday, April 15, 2014 Gold Rush Inn (General Store) 1 to 3:30 p.m. You’ll have a chance to learn more about the proposed project, get detailed information about the contracts we will be looking for, and learn about the services and supply of goods that subcontractors may be able to supply. This also provides you with the opportunity to register with Yukon Energy as a business interested in providing goods or services related to the proposed project. Image: proposed site plan.
News, Reliability, Safety
Apr 14, 2014  2

Renovations in Mayo

Between now and early June, Yukon Energy will be doing some major renovations to the Mayo Lake Control Structure. These upgrades are necessary to ensure we can continue to provide you with reliable service. However the work could mean restricted access to the near-by boat launch. While we realize the water isn't open for boats at this time of year, we have been told a few people may use that spot to access Mayo Lake by snowmobile. For your own safety, we ask that you stay away from the area if at all possible. If you must proceed to the boat lock, please practice caution and watch for large trucks and other operating equipment.
News
Apr 14, 2014  Comment

Space Heating With Renewable Energy

Have you heard of Electric Thermal Storage (ETS)? It's being tried in some jurisdictions as a way of storing renewable energy, and later using it to heat buildings. You can learn more about the technology here.  The Yukon Conservation Society is organizing a two-day workshop to explore this technology with local residents. Yukon Energy is a major sponsor. Daytime workshops are taking place on May 13th and 14th, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Gold Rush Inn, Whitehorse. The cost is $200 for government and utility employees to attend, $100 for private business employees, and $20 for individuals. There is a free public session on May 14th at 7 p.m. Please contact the Yukon Conservation Society for details and to register. The ETS workshop will present experience of other jurisdictions, discuss the potential costs, benefits, and challenges of ETS systems, and bring together a variety of policy makers and experts to discuss whether this technology is a possibility in terms of wide spread use in Yukon, and if so, what the next steps should be.
News, Power Outage Updates
Apr 15, 2014  Comment

This Morning’s Outage

As you are likely aware, we had a power outage earlier this morning. Power went out to almost all of the Yukon grid (except for the Village of Mayo and Keno) at about 3 this morning. Almost everyone was restored by approximately 5 a.m., except Pelly Crossing and the Minto mine, and they should be back on shortly. The cause was a generation problem with our largest hydro unit in Whitehorse (what we refer to as the Fourth Wheel) but we are still investigating exactly what went wrong in that unit.
News, Reliability, Safety
Apr 22, 2014  Comment

Maintaining Public Safety at our Mayo Lake Control Structure

Several days ago, we told you that we were doing some major refurbishment of our control structure at Mayo Lake. For public safety reasons, we have decided to close off the road into the structure until early June. This closure will affect access to the near-by boat launch. Since there won't be open water until at least the end of May and most likely into June, we hope this won't be an inconvenience to anyone. If you have questions or concerns, please email us at communications@yukonenergy.ca.
News, Reliability
Apr 22, 2014  Comment

Update on our Takhini Substation Upgrade

After a winter break, work has started once again on the upgrade to our Takhini substation on the Mayo Road near Whitehorse. The upgrade is necessary so we can supply power to the soon to be built Whistle Bend subdivision. At the same time we are making improvements to our system that will limit outages to smaller geographic areas and allow us to restore power more quickly during an outage. The project will be completed later this year. At a cost of $12-million spread over two years, it is one of our largest capital projects underway right now. Photos: www.archbould.com Note the 'cowboy hat' in this photo. It is actually a certified hard hat!
News, Power Outage Updates
Apr 15, 2014  Comment

Update on This Morning’s Power Outage

As was noted earlier today on this blog, there was a power outage early this morning that resulted in most communities on the Yukon grid losing their electricity source. The outage occurred at 3 a.m. and most communities had their power restored by about 5 a.m.  Our crews have now determined that the outage was caused when a component of our Whitehorse hydro #4 unit failed. The component (official name is Programmable Logic Controller) is essentially a sophisticated computer and the main brain of the hydro unit. Its failure caused damage to other essential components. Staff are working to systematically identify all issues with the damaged equipment. It could be several days before hydro unit #4 is back in service. In the meantime, we have sufficient hydro power from our other available units in Whitehorse, Mayo and Aishihik.

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