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News
Jun 26, 2012  Comment

The 2011 Annual Report Is Out

Yukon Energy's 2011 Annual Report is now available online. Please let us know if you have any questions once you've had a chance to read it.
News, Community Involvement, Environment
Jun 27, 2012  Comment

This Summer’s Water Levels

Levels in the Southern Lakes upstream from our Whitehorse Rapids hydro facility can vary greatly from year to year, depending on winter snowfall, summer rain, and summer temperatures (which affect the amount of glacial melt in the area). A hot, rainy summer, especially if it follows a winter with heavy snowfall, can mean potential flooding of properties in low-lying areas near Marsh and Tagish Lakes. Yukon Energy is often asked what we can do to help prevent flooding of people's properties in the high water level years. There is a misconception that if we would only let more water through our Whitehorse dam or our Lewes Lake gates, there wouldn't be a flooding problem. The truth is that under our water license, we must have all our gates open no later than May 15 of each year. That means that we hold no water back during the summer months, and we have no ability to increase the water flow from the Southern Lakes. However what we can do is share our information with local residents about what we expect summer water levels to be like each year. This will help people prepare their property for possible flooding in high water years. Early in 2012, after taking into account the snow pack from the previous winter and Environment Canada's long range forecast, we expected levels to be on the high side but not unusually high. However recent rains and warm weather have prompted us to revise our forecast. We believe in the worst case scenario, levels could go as high as .3 of a metre (about a foot) from 2007 levels, which had some of the highest levels on record. Please see this chart for details. We don't say this to cause panic. We merely want to arm people with information so they can best prepare their properties in whatever way they feel is necessary. We will continue to update the chart throughout the summer and post it on this site.
Environment
Jun 28, 2012  Comment

Learning from the Glaciers

Last year, Yukon Energy hired scientists from the Yukon's Northern Climate Exchange, the University of Alberta and the Yukon Geological Survey to gather information for us on the expected impacts of climate change on the glaciers that feed our hydro systems. That report is now finished. Here are some of the key findings: 1. Glaciers currently contribute 16 percent and 7 percent of the total annual flow volume of the Upper Yukon River through melt and wastage, respectively. Melt refers to snow and ice that is less than or equivalent to the volume of snow accumulated into a glacier system each year. Wastage is melt that exceeds the volume of snow accumulation into a glacier system in a given year, resulting in a net loss from the glacier. 2. Of these amounts, 46 percent and 39 percent is solely derived from the Llewellyn Glacier near Atlin. This highlights its importance in terms of runoff contribution relative to other glaciers in the region. 3. Snowmelt from non-glacier sources accounts for about 44 percent of the total annual flow of the Upper Yukon River. Rainfall and groundwater make up the remaining 33 percent. 4. Glacier wastage will continue to enhance runoff into the Yukon River for many decades into the future. 5. There will likely be increased annual runoff in the Yukon River, with higher flows in the ‘shoulder’ seasons (i.e. early spring and late fall). The information from this study is valuable to Yukon Energy. Already it has helped our staff to more accurately predict the volume of water flowing through the Yukon River system this year. The report suggests more study should be done of the Llewellyn Glacier due to its vast size and its potentially high sensitivity to climate change. Yukon Energy will continue to work with the Northern Climate Exchange to gather more information on this subject.  
Safety
Jun 28, 2012  Comment

Safety to the COR

In July 2010, in our efforts to make Yukon Energy as safe a workplace as it can possibly be, we began requiring construction contractors who do work for us to be Certificate of Recognition (COR) certified. The COR is issued to employers who develop and implement health and safety programs that meet the highest safety standards as set out by the Northern Safety Network and the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board. We decided to phase in the COR requirement to give businesses time to do the work necessary to become COR certified. Phase 1 became effective July 1, 2010 and applied to construction contracts valued at $500,000 or more. Phase 2 began July 1, 2011 and applied to construction contracts valued at $100,000 or more. Phase 3 is to begin July 1, 2012 and was to apply to construction contracts of any value. In reality however, we recognize that some small operations in rural Yukon need more time. That’s why we have decided to extend our deadline for those contractors until the end of this year. There may be rare cases, such as with one-person rural operations, where it is not practical for them to become COR certified. We will work with those companies to find a solution that will still ensure a very high level of safety. For more information, please call (867) 393-5335 or 393-5353 or send an email to melaine.pettefer@yec.yk.ca.  
Regulatory
Jul 03, 2012  Comment

Reminder of Interim Rate Increase

A reminder that you will notice a 6.4 percent increase in your electric bills starting this month. Earlier this year, we applied to the Yukon Utilities Board for a rate increase of 6.4 percent for 2012 and a further 6.5 percent in 2013. We asked that while the YUB considers our request, we be allowed to put in place an interim increase so that we could start to address an expected revenue shortfall. The Utilities Board agreed. That interim increase will show up on your bills as Rider J. Oral hearings into our application are scheduled for this fall, and a decision should come late this year or early next. Depending on what the YUB determines our revenue requirement should be, we will either need to refund some of the money collected through Rider J, or recover (over a period of time determined by the Utilities Board) some money as per the approved rate. Obviously no one likes a rate increase, but there are several reasons why one is necessary at this time: •Increased energy consumption in all sectors has strained Yukon Energy’s power grid, and has depleted the corporation’s surplus hydro. While Yukon Energy’s new hydro assets (Mayo B and the Aishihik third turbine) have helped address this problem, expensive diesel generation is still needed to supply an increasing share of the new demand. •The cost of keeping aging infrastructure efficient, up-to-date and safe for Yukoners has increased faster than electricity rates. •Inflation: thirteen years is a long time to go without a rate increase. Meanwhile, salaries have gone up and the cost of our materials keeps climbing. The cost of living in Yukon has gone up more than 20 percent since the late 1990s. •Funding tomorrow’s energy: finding sufficient clean, affordable and reliable energy requires years of public and stakeholder consultation, research, engineering and project approval. All this work comes with a price tag. We invite you to read more about the need for an increase and what we've done over the last 13 years to keep costs low. As always, please contact us if you have questions or comments.    
Environment
Jul 04, 2012  Comment

Today’s Marsh Lake Water Level

We’ve had a couple of calls today from people asking us to update our water level chart for Marsh Lake. Here it is as of today’s date. We are showing a range (between the light blue dotted lines and the darker blue dotted lines) of what you could expect to see this summer. Note that the proposed new Full Supply Level that we are looking at in the Southern Lakes Enhanced Winter Storage Concept would be 656.534 metres, or just slightly above the grid line on the graph that is marked 656.5. Please let us know if you have any questions about the chart.
Energy Supply
Jul 11, 2012  Comment

An Explanation about Yukon Energy and Water Levels

We noticed a Letter to the Editor in the local papers this week that said levels in the Yukon River were very low in early June because Yukon Energy wasn't releasing any water over the Whitehorse spillway. The letter suggested if we'd released water earlier, the river wouldn't be at the high level it is now. We thought it would be helpful to explain how we are allowed to operate. We have a water license that says as of May 15th each year, we must open all our spillgates at the Marsh Lake Control Structure. We are not able to hold any water back after that date. We are not permitted to close any gates until at least August 15th, or until water levels on Marsh Lake drop to what is known as Full Supply Level (656.234 metres above sea level). What this means is that the amount of water flowing from the Southern Lakes to the Yukon River is solely dependent on Mother Nature. We can't hold water back in the summer nor do we have any ability to move it more quickly through the system, so can't relieve any high water situations. We've had a cool spring this year, which is why water levels in early June were lower than normal. But once the higher than usual snowpack from the winter started to melt, water levels shot up quickly, and now they appear quite high. A final note about our Whitehorse dam: we only spill water if we have more than we need to produce electricity. We weren't spilling any early this spring because there wasn't any excess...we needed every drop for power production. Now, with much more water moving through the system, you will notice us spilling water at times. We hope this helps clear up any confusion. We always welcome your questions; if you're not sure of something, please ask us. Thanks.
Energy Supply
Jul 12, 2012  Comment

Our Work at Mayo Lake

Take a look at our latest YouTube video. This one is about the work we are doing at Mayo Lake in the Central Yukon. Questions? Please send them our way.
News
Jul 16, 2012  Comment

The Latest on Our Biomass Work

There's some good news on the biomass front. We are working with four local governments, agencies and corporations to look into the possibility of a biomass project for Haines Junction. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, the Dakwakada Development Corporation, Cold Climate Innovation of the Yukon Research Centre, and the Village of Haines Junction are collaborating with us to investigate the potential for a two to three megawatt biomass plant in the community. If approved, the plant would provide some much-needed renewable electricity for the territory. It also has the potential to produce district heat and create economic opportunities for local businesses and corporations. The preliminary research done to date shows this is a potentially economically viable project. As a group we are now hiring a consulting company to conduct a more detailed engineering and design study. The results are expected by early next year. While this study will primarily focus on electricity production from the plant, the group hopes to find additional money to investigate the use of the facility’s waste heat. The bulk of the funding for the $850,000 engineering and design study is expected to come from Natural Resources Canada, with the remainder coming from the five Yukon organizations. Once the study results are known, we will decide as a group how best to move forward. The biomass project would undergo community, environmental and regulatory review before moving to the construction phase.
Energy Supply
Jul 18, 2012  1

Is Geothermal Right for You?

Have you ever wondered about using geothermal technology to heat your home or business? If so, now’s your chance to ask questions and learn more about the technology. Paul Regnier of the company Advanced Geothermal Systems Inc. will give a presentation in Whitehorse on direct exchange geothermal heat pumps, district heating potential, and more. Come and learn about these energy efficient heating systems and their residential and commercial applications. The information session runs from noon to 1 p.m. next Tuesday (July 24th). It’s taking place in Conference Room 5 at the Westmark Whitehorse Hotel. There’ll be a free lunch provided. For information please contact Jessica Thiessen at 867-393-3898 or jessica.thiessen@yec.yk.ca. This event is being sponsored by Yukon Energy.  
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation
Jul 20, 2012  Comment

More ‘Conservation Kids’ Sessions

As we told you in a previous post, Yukon Energy Corporation and the Yukon Conservation Society are partnering with Environment Yukon’s Conservation Action Team to offer a children’s electricity awareness program to communities in the territory. The Conservation Kids Ed-Ventures Program teaches children about the safe and wise use of electricity through games, hands-on science and crafts. The program is free and is open to kids of all ages. Earlier this summer the program ran in Watson Lake, Ross River and Faro. The next offerings are taking place in the following communities: Whitehorse - July 23: the program will be a part of the city's summer camps at the Canada Games Centre. Note that these sessions are limited to participants of the city's Wild Things, Cracker Jacks, and Spitfires camps. Haines Junction - July 28 at 1 p.m. at the Old Community Hall. Open to all children.
Energy Supply
Jul 20, 2012  Comment

Full Supply on Marsh Lake

For those folks with properties on the Southern Lakes, today the water is exactly at Full Supply Level. It's at this level that, AFTER AUGUST 15, our water licence allows us to start closing some of our control gates to slow the flow of water out of the lakes into the Yukon River. The reason we do that is so we have enough water to produce power in the winter time, when demand for electricity is at its peak. You may want to mark a point on your property today so that you have a comparison for other times of the year. If you add 30 centimetres (about 12 inches) to that mark, you will have a sense of what the levels would be like under the enhanced water storage scenario that we are studying.  
Energy Supply, Environment
Jul 24, 2012  Comment

Our Latest Summer Forecast for Marsh Lake

While property owners and residents in the Southern Lakes continue to watch the water rise around their homes, we too are keeping a close eye on the levels. Our latest forecast for peak levels on Marsh Lake shows a range. The darker dotted line shows the 'worst case' scenario, with levels reaching 40 cm (16 inches) below 2007 peak levels. The lighter dotted line shows the 'best case' scenario, with levels below the 2004 peak. We continue to get questions about why we are keeping water levels so high this year. In fact we have no ability to control the lake levels at this time of year. Here are a few points that we hope will explain how we are allowed to operate. 1. Today's lake level (July 24) is 656.368 metres above sea level. That is about 16 cm higher that our current Full Supply Level in our water licence, which is 656.23 metres. 2. Our water licence says that we must have all our gates open by May 15th each year, and the gates must remain open until at least August 15th. Even then, we can only close them if the water has dropped to below our Full Supply Level (FSL). That means there are some years when we don't actually start to close gates until late September (typically that happens in higher-than-normal water years such as this one). It also means that during the summer, Yukon Energy does not have the ability to control lake levels. The level you see now is the natural level. 3. Marsh Lake goes to our Full Supply Level elevation naturally every year, and often it goes well above this level. 4. Lake levels today appear to be typical of other high water years. High water years occur about 25 percent of the time. We are also asked what will happen with lake levels if we get permission to go to a new Full Supply Level, as we are looking at in the Southern Lakes Enhanced Storage Concept. 1. The new Full Supply Level that we are considering is 656.53 metres, which is 30 cm (1 foot) higher than the current Full Supply Level. 2. The flood level is 656.79, which is the 2004 water level. That is .26 of a metre (26 cm or close to a foot) HIGHER than the proposed Full Supply Level. "Flood level" is a bit of an arbitrary term, but essentially it's a level where people start to experience some flooding issues. 3. In 2007 Marsh Lake peaked at 657.34. That is .81 of a metre (81 cm) above the proposed Full Supply Level and is more than a metre above today's lake level. 4. Marsh Lake reaches 656.53 (the proposed new FSL) naturally one out of every three to four years. In the last 26 years, the lake has reached this level naturally 10 times: in 2009, 2007, 2004, 2000, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1989, and 1986. 5. Today the lake is approximately 13 cm below the proposed new Full Supply Level. We know this can be a complicated subject, so please don't hesitate to send us a note if you have questions or comments.
Media Releases
Jul 16, 2012  Comment

Group to Look at Biomass Plant for Haines Junction

Five local governments, agencies and corporations are working together to look into the possibility of a biomass project for Haines Junction. The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, the Dakwakada Development Corporation, Yukon Energy, Cold Climate Innovation of the Yukon Research Centre, and the Village of Haines Junction are investigating the potential for a two to three megawatt biomass plant in the community. If approved, the plant would provide some much-needed renewable electricity for the territory. It also has the potential to produce district heat and create economic opportunities for local businesses and corporations. “The biomass project promises to provide benefits on multiple levels,” said CAFN Chief James Allen. “A large greenhouse project utilizing waste heat could supply our regional need for vegetables and decrease our reliance on the Alaska Highway for food transport. The production of renewable energy plus the added benefits will create numerous jobs for our people and help our region become more self-sufficient.” “DDC has been evaluating the renewable energy sector for the last few years”, said Murray Arsenault, General Manager of Dakwakada Development Corporation. “We are optimistic about the investment potential associated with renewable energy which can add greener energy to the Yukon grid, and provide economic opportunities in the traditional territory of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.” “We’re very excited about this initiative and see this as a win-win for everyone involved,” Yukon Energy president David Morrison said. “It’s crucial that we work with First Nation and other governments, agencies and development corporations so we can ensure a sustainable and secure energy future for the territory.” “The biomass plant is about creating a sustainable cold climate technology that addresses food security, energy independence and job creation for Yukoners”, said Yukon College president, Karen Barnes. “This collaborative project brings together researchers, industry and government benefiting Yukoners and potentially other sub-arctic regions around the world”. The preliminary research done to date shows this is a potentially economically viable project. The group is now hiring a consulting company to conduct a more detailed engineering and design study. The results are expected by early 2013. While this study will primarily focus on electricity production from the plant, the group hopes to find additional money to investigate the use of the facility’s waste heat. “This is a green, carbon neutral energy project that, if it goes forward, will create much needed jobs in our community,” Haines Junction Mayor George Nassiopoulos said. “I’m particularly pleased with the level of cooperation for this initiative among the corporations and various levels of government.” The bulk of the funding for the $850,000 engineering and design study is expected to come from Natural Resources Canada, with the remainder coming from the five Yukon organizations. Once the study results are known, the group will determine how best to move forward. The biomass project would undergo community, environmental and regulatory review before moving to the construction phase. Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333 janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca Amy McKinnon Communications Manager Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (867) 634-4237 almckinnon@cafn.ca Tanis Davey Communications Coordinator Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College (867) 456-8625 tdavey@yukoncollege.yk.ca
Media Releases
Jul 25, 2012  Comment

Yukon Energy Seeks Input on 20-Year Resource Plan

After extensive consultation and discussion with governments, stakeholders and the public, Yukon Energy has completed a draft of its updated 20-year resource plan. It is now taking the draft to Yukoners for input. Then the document will be revised based on feedback from the public and will be submitted to the Yukon Utilities Board (YUB). “In 2006, the last time Yukon Energy developed a 20-year resource plan, our approach with regard to public consultation was fairly conventional. We shared the plan with the public, but only once it was a finished document that had been filed with the YUB,” Yukon Energy president David Morrison said. “Since that time, we have made a conscious and fundamental change in our approach to planning. We sought input from First Nation and other governments, stakeholders and the public before we had determined any of the content of this latest resource plan,” Morrison added. The input came through meetings, workshops, a three-day energy planning charrette held in March 2011, and follow-up mini-charrettes that focused on specific potential energy options. Among other things, the charrette participants helped Yukon Energy formulate four principles around which to base future energy decisions: reliability, affordability, flexibility and environmental responsibility. “These these four principles became our lens through which we considered all possible energy options for this resource plan draft,” Morrison said. The document outlines both near-term and longer-term energy options. Near-term possibilities include energy conservation/efficiencies, hydro enhancements such as Southern Lakes Enhanced Winter Storage, liquefied natural gas, wood biomass, and wind. Longer-term options outlined in the draft include new hydro, geothermal, solar, liquefied natural gas from local sources, and a grid connection to British Columbia or Alaska. Yukon Energy plans to visit several Yukon communities over the next few weeks to hear people’s views on the draft document. On a go-forward basis Yukon Energy is committed to the idea of ‘planning in public’. The corporation will continue engaging Yukoners on issues related to the territory’s energy future. To learn more you are invited to read a summary of the 20-Year Resource Plan draft and a more comprehensive and detailed overview of the plan. The complete document is available upon request (note that it is a very large file).  Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333 janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca

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