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Community Involvement, Energy Supply
Mar 07, 2011  Comment

First Impressions at the Energy Charrette

Today was Day 1 of our energy charrette. Close to 100 Yukon stakeholders, Yukon Energy officials, and energy experts gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing us when it comes to the future of energy in the territory. One of the participants was grade 11 student Claire Lindsey, and she agreed to write this guest post to share some of her impressions. Today was a real eye opener to what the Yukon consumes in matters of energy. At the Yukon Energy Charette, which our Experiential Sciences grade 11 class was invited to, much was learned! I never knew how much planning and time is put into the territory's energy plan for the upcoming years. There are many options to provide energy, yet today I realized that with every option there are pros and cons. Whether it's cost, efficiency, sustainability, reliability, or environmentally challenging; each aspect has to be looked at and everyone has a different perspective as to what is the right solution. However after quick discussion, everyone agreed that there is no one solution. There has to be a combination of solutions that together can efficiently provide enough clean and (hopefully) cheap energy with as little environmental impact as possible. Another issue came up is that the public needs to be more involved with the territory's future, so after the day's discussion at the charette, at 7 in the evening a meeting was held for anyone who wanted to attend and become aware and participate in the future of the Yukon's energy plan. This charette is a great opportunity and already after the first day I have learned so much!   The charrette continues tomorrow and Wednesday, with public evening sessions each night from 7 to 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend. The following images were taking this afternoon during working group sessions. Photo credit: www.archbould.com

Community Involvement, Energy Supply
Mar 08, 2011  Comment

Day 2 at the Charrette

This is the second in a series of guest blogs written by members of a Grade 11 class that is attending our energy charrette. The following observations were made by Caleb Lane and Seamus Beairsto. Photos: www.archbould.com Caleb's impressions Gigawatt hour. Energy storage. Energy capacity. These are just some of the words being used on Day 2 of Yukon’s Energy Charrette being hosted at Mount Mac Centre in Whitehorse.  Much of the day was spent learning about different sources of energy that could be used, and their pros and cons. As some of the top experts speculated on which options were viable, the grade 11 Experiential Science class joined in to give a younger perspective on the issues.  Participants split off into smaller groups where they played an energy choices game with future demand scenarios. The problem they were given to solve: how can Yukon adjust its energy generation so it can provide enough electrical power in the future, given the uncertainly of what may unfold, while keeping in mind things like our carbon footprint?  Unfortunately, the solution is clouded with no clear answer presenting itself. Yukon’s energy needs fluctuate wildly as mining companies leave and come back. This makes it very hard to pinpoint what Yukon’s energy needs will be. As the charrette progresses, we may be coming closer to the elusive answer we are searching for. Being a participant in the process, the only thing I can say with absolute certainty after meeting the various people with different attitudes and backgrounds is they all care for and are fighting for a better Yukon for the next generation. They wish it to be stronger, more capable, and able to handle curveballs the future may hurl at us. Day 3 is still to go, when we will delve even deeper into the issues and problems we are facing. Seamus' impressions Today I feel the charrette really moved in a good direction. In the morning and early afternoon we finished the last of the presentations on different energy options, and I feel everything makes more sense now. Day 1 I really didn’t feel like I could add much to the group conversation as my only knowledge in the area came from what I had learned earlier that day. And as a student I did not have any of the experience brought forward by the rest of our group. Today however my much fuller knowledge about the energy problem and different possible options, really helped me get into the conversation. I now had the means and knowledge to communicate my thoughts and I was able to bring a point of view of a person who will be leading and contributing to Yukon’s energy situation 15-20 years from now. In the afternoon we played a bit of a game. We were broken into groups and we had to make a plan to meet energy demands in 2015, 2025, and 2050. Our plan had to be as cost efficient and environmentally friendly as possible. There was a lot of disagreement in our group, and we only managed a plan for 2015 and a partial plan for 2025. For 2050 we decided on things that we did not want in the Yukon as far as energy production. We ended with Hydro, Wind, Solar and Biomass as our main sources. Nuclear energy and a transmission line connecting to the southern grid only had half the group’s support. But I believe that the charrette is definitely moving in the right direction and I am interested to see what happens tomorrow!    
Community Involvement, Energy Supply
Mar 10, 2011  Comment

A Re-cap of Day 3 at the Charrette

Here is the final in the series of guest blogs by a group of grade 11 students participating in our energy charrette. Today's entry is from Katie Peters. With the end of the third day of the Yukon Energy Charrette, many solutions to our territory's energy challenges have been presented. Although the charrette itself is now over, this is only the beginning of a long process of deciding how to deal with the Yukon’s energy needs. The growing population and requirements of various mines have resulted in a shortage of renewable energy. Over the past few days, options such as solar, wind, waste energy, diesel generation, hydro, geothermal, natural gas, bioenergy, nuclear plants, energy storage, and Demand Side Management (energy conservation) have been considered and debated. Though there seems to be no single solution and final decisions have yet to be made, Yukon Energy is well on its way in its search for answers, and the involvement of community members has been essential. Today’s charrette session focused largely on how to keep the public engaged. Stuart Hickox, founder of the One Change organization, gave a presentation on increasing public awareness and ACTION! It is not possible for Yukon Energy to find the best possible energy solutions without public cooperation and support. In our afternoon group gathering, many ideas were brainstormed as to how the Corporation can move forward from this point and gain the community’s assistance. These included school presentations with active youth participation, annual/bi-annual public meetings, door-to-door education and involvement, development of an experiential learning game, and various other actions that would community members of all ages. Youth participation is particularly important, as they represent the Yukon’s energy future, and will one day be left in charge of the choices that are made now. In my opinion, this week’s Yukon Energy Charrette has been a huge success and is a fantastic starting point in terms of facing our present and future energy challenges.  
Community Involvement, Energy Supply
Mar 14, 2011  Comment

Thank You!

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to participate in last week's energy charrette. From Yukon Energy's point of view, the discussions were thoughtful and extremely valuable to us as we move forward in preparing an update to our 20-year resource plan. Within a few weeks there will be a report posted on this blog summarizing what we heard during the charrette. This summer, we will host some public meetings where we will share with you a draft of our updated 20-year resource plan. In the meantime, you can find the background papers and the powerpoint presentations from last week's charrette on our website.
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation, Energy Supply
Mar 17, 2011  Comment

A Made in Yukon Conservation Plan

One of the key points Yukon Energy heard from participants at last week's charrette is that all Yukoners must play a role in conserving energy.  We have been working with the Yukon government and the Yukon Electrical Company Limited for the last several months to develop a Demand Side Management (energy conservation) plan. In January of this year, about 15 Yukoners met for a day long discussion about what an energy conservation program for Yukon should entail. The resulting report is now available for you to read. Once you've had a chance to digest the report we would love to hear your thoughts. Did the group capture the essential elements of an energy conservation plan? Are there other things that should be considered?
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation, Energy Supply
Mar 17, 2011  4

Earth Hour…Not Just a One Night Stand

Saturday March 26th, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., is Earth Hour. It's an annual global event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund and supported locally by the Yukon Conservation Society, Yukon  Energy, the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre, and others. The idea is for everyone to show their support for the fight against climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and reducing energy usage any other ways they can. Yukon Energy will track the electrical consumption for that hour to find out how much was saved. Check our blog on March 28th for the results. Last year during Earth Hour, Yukoners reduced their consumption by 800 kilowatts (the equivalent of turning off 8,000 100-watt light bulbs for one hour). Let's see if we can do even better this year. Of course Earth Hour is about much more than turning off the lights for 60 minutes. We'd like Yukoners to use the time to make plans and take action to reduce energy use year round, particularly in the winter when there is the greatest demand for electricity in the territory. We'd love to hear what you'll be doing during Earth Hour to reduce your energy consumption. Send us a note via this blog describing your Earth Hour plans and we'll enter your name in a draw for a selection of energy-saving devices for your home. To get your creativity flowing, visit the World Wildlife Fund's website where you'll find lots of Earth Hour ideas. You'll find energy conservation tips to use year-round on our own website.
Energy Supply
Mar 21, 2011  Comment

Catching the Wind

As you may be aware, Yukon Energy has been looking at two sites for potential wind farms: Mount Sumanik near Whitehorse and Ferry Hill in the Stewart Crossing area. We are advancing both sites as prospective projects and we will include both options in the latest version of our 20-year resource plan, which we are updating this year. We recently began the installation of some state-of-the-art equipment on Ferry Hill so we could measure and monitor wind speeds and several other parameters in real time. The equipment will also help us determine the best design for a potential wind farm on that site. We will monitor the site for at least a year, after which time we will report back to Yukoners with the results. Once we have completed the wind monitoring work on Ferry Hill we are planning to do the same on Mount Sumanik. Much of the general information and analysis of the Ferry Hill site will also be applicable to Mt. Sumanik, a fact that will speed up development time should a project proposal emerge from the study at this location.

Power Outage Updates
Mar 22, 2011  Comment

This Afternooon’s Power Outage

Power has now been restored to almost all Yukon communities that were affected by this afternoon's outage. The power went out to most areas of the Southern and Central Yukon at 2:23 this afternoon. Electricity was restored to almost everyone by 3:45 p.m., with some areas receiving power sooner than that. A few customers between Faro and Carmacks remained without power until about 9:30 tonight. Whenever there is an outage, our first priority is to restore power, and only once that has been accomplished do we begin to investigate the cause. We have dispatched crews to do that investigative work and we hope to know the reason for the outage by tomorrow. Please accept our apologies for any difficulties this outage may have caused you.
Power Outage Updates
Mar 23, 2011  Comment

More On Yesterday’s Power Outage

We now have more information about the cause of yesterday's power outage in the Central and Southern Yukon. The black-out was a result of a problem with a piece of our equipment at the Faro mine. The technical term for the equipment is a low side bus duct, which essentially is a set of cables that connect our transformer to the Faro mine. The mine is currently being fed through an alternate transformer until we can repair or replace the damaged bus duct. The Faro mine noticed smoke and sparks coming from the bus duct, and notified us. We want to thank the mine for reporting the problem to us, because it helped us locate the source of the problem.
Energy Supply
Mar 24, 2011  1

The Long Journey Home

It’s been quite a journey, but the new seven megawatt generator for our Aishihik plant is now on site. The generator was manufactured in India, travelled to Vancouver by boat, and was trucked up the Alaska Highway on a large flatbed. Once in Yukon, it had to cross two bridges on the Aishihik Road that are are not able to support the weight of a 34 tonne generator, so Yukon Energy had an overspan constructed (a steel bridge that fit over the existing bridges) to make the crossings possible. A large loader went ahead of the generator-laden semi-trailer as a precaution, in case it was needed to help pull the load and steer. In the end, the semi was able to handle the job all on its own. Once on site, not one but two cranes were needed to unload the generator. The journey still isn’t quite finished. While it is on our Aishihik property, the generator must be lowered by crane 110 meters into an underground tunnel where the equipment will be moved into place and installed. That will happen this summer and will be done by a subcontractor that specializes in moving large loads. Most of the other components needed to operate the generator have been delivered, although we are still waiting for one more piece (the turbine runner), which should arrive from Austria later this spring. We expect Aishihik 3 to be operating by the fall. The Aishihik third turbine project will allow us to use the water available at our plant more efficiently. It is expected to save Yukon Energy $1.2 million or more per year in diesel costs and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 3,800 tonnes annually. Below are some photos of the generator crossing one of the Aishihik Road bridges, being unloaded at our Aishihik plant, and a shot of where the generator will be installed later this year.  
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation, Energy Supply
Mar 25, 2011  Comment

Charrette Summary

We've had a chance to summarize the discussion/suggestions that came out of our energy charrette held earlier this month. We wanted to share our notes with you. Please be aware that these are notes only; a more comprehensive and formal report will be available by late next month. For those of you who attended the charrette (either the day or the evening sessions), please let us know if you notice anything in these notes that is incorrect or missing.
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation
Mar 27, 2011  4

Way to Go Yukoners!

Give yourself a pat on the back...last night during Earth Hour, Yukoners reduced their energy consumption by about one megawatt. That's the equivalent of 10,000 100-watt light bulbs and that's up from last year, at which time we reduced consumption by .8 of a megawatt during Earth Hour. Tell us what you did to save power last night and your name will go in a draw for a variety of energy-saving devices for your home. The deadline for entries is 9 a.m. tomorrow morning.
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation
Mar 29, 2011  2

And the Winner Is…

Congratulations to Kara Went, who is the winner in our Earth Hour draw for a variety of energy-saving home devices. Thank you to the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre and the Yukon Conservation Society for donating some of the prizes, several of which are shown below.

News, Energy Supply
Mar 31, 2011  Comment

Power Switch

CBC News has launched a series of special reports that focus on energy. Although some of the data does not reflect or include Yukon (or the other Canadian territories), there is still a huge amount of information here that you may find interesting and informative. See direct links to many of the articles below. We would love to get your feedback on any of these reports. The Amazing ABCs of Electrical Generation Provincial Strategies: How Energy Policies Differ Across Canada Electricity: Find Out What You'll Pay in 2020 Peace River Project a Wind-Power Success Story FAQ: Nuclear Reactors Solar Energy: Is it Commercially Viable in Canada? Power Calculator: See How Using Different Electricity Sources Affects Prices and Carbon Output MicroFIT Program Sows Seeds of Interest Among Homeowners Smart Grid Promises Big Benefits But Raises Privacy Concerns New Technologies Turn Wasted Thermal Energy Into Electricity Is the Grid Ready for Electric Cars? Trying to Be Kind to the Environment Isn't Always Simple  What Do Those EnerGuide Numbers Mean? Conservation: Does Cutting Back Really Work? Fighting Phantom Power: How to Plug An Energy Leak Energy Sources of the (Near) Future
Media Releases
Mar 21, 2011  Comment

Earth Hour…Not Just a One Night Stand

What will you be doing this Saturday night? Yukon Energy and the Yukon Conservation Society encourage you to spend part of the evening taking action to reduce your energy consumption. Earth Hour is an annual global event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund. This year it happens on Saturday March 26th from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. “The idea is for everyone to show their support for the fight against climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and reducing energy usage any other ways they can,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “Yukon Energy will track the electrical consumption for that hour to find out how much was saved,” Patterson added. “People will find the results the following Monday morning on our blog." Last year during Earth Hour, Yukoners reduced their consumption by 800 kilowatts (the equivalent of turning off 8,000 100-watt light bulbs for one hour). “But Earth Hour is about more than 60 minutes with the lights off,” Yukon Conservation Society Energy Coordinator Anne Middler said. “We'd like Yukon people to think about how we use energy and take action to conserve energy all the time, especially in winter when we have to burn diesel to meet the demand for electricity.” “And Earth Hour is not only about electricity,” she added, noting most of Yukon’s greenhouse gas emissions result from heating and transportation. Yukoners are encouraged to post a note on Yukon Energy’s blog or Facebook page, outlining what they will doing during Earth Hour to reduce their energy consumption. Everyone who takes the time to do this will have their name entered in a draw for a selection of energy-saving devices for their home. For Earth Hour ideas, visit the World Wildlife Fund’s website. Contact: Janet Patterson Communications Supervisor Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333 janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca Anne Middler Energy Coordinator Yukon Conservation Society (867) 668-5678 ycsenergycoordinator@gmail.com

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