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

General, Community Involvement
Feb 18, 2011  Comment

Trades and Technologies: Our Bread and Butter

Skills Canada Yukon is planning another territorial skills competition this April in Whitehorse. As in the past, Yukon Energy will be involved in this event. We think it's an important one for a whole lot of reasons. Trades and technolgies are absolutely crucial to our business. That's why, in 2006, we started an apprenticeship program for Yukon Energy. It was a way of addressing the shortage of skilled workers in Canada and the challenge of attracting qualified candidates to the North. Perhaps more importantly, it gave us a chance to offer trades training and employment to Yukoners. Since that time, about a dozen Yukoners have gone through our apprenticeship program in the areas of power systems electrician, powerline technician, and heavy duty equipment technician. Almost all of them continue to work for us now that they have their journey tickets. Two more are in the process of getting their tickets. We also created a new scholarship a few years ago that was open to Yukon residents entering a trade pre-apprenticeship program or entry level trades program in the following areas: electrician powerline technician electronics technician heavy duty mechanic industrial instrument mechanic millwright (industrial mechanic) machinist You can learn more about our scholarship program by going to our website. We're really looking forward to this year's territorial skills competition, taking place on April 29th at the Whitehorse campus of Yukon College. What's most exciting for us to to have the chance to show young people what can be achieved through trades and technologies. If you're a young person or know someone who is, spread the word. Hope to see you on April 29th. Photo credit: www.archbould.com
General, Community Involvement, Energy Supply
Feb 21, 2011  Comment

Learning from the Next Generation

We've written a few times on this blog about the upcoming energy charrette, planned for March 7 - 9 in Whitehorse. Ahead of that, we're holding a series of public meetings, the second of which is taking place in Mayo tomorrow night from 7 - 9 p.m. at the community hall. One of the things we are very excited about regarding the charrette is that an entire class of grade 11 experiential science students will participate. On Friday, Yukon Energy President David Morrison and Stuart Hickox of One Change spent an afternoon at the school, giving the students some background about the Corporation, about energy in the territory, and about just how important the students' views are in this planning process. Some of the students will be writing about their charrette experience on this blog, and we are very much looking foward to their insights.  Photo credit: Mike Thomas.

Energy Conservation
Feb 22, 2011  Comment

Powering Hot Tubs

Today's question: I am curious to know if the power consumption of a hot tub heater represents a big percentage of the personal consumption during a Yukon winter. This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on the size and energy efficiency rating of the hot tub, and how often you use it. As a rule of thumb though, if you have a six-person hot tub that you heat all the time but only use a couple of hours a week, and if it is well insulated (has an Arctic Package), then you can probably expect to pay between $60 and $75 a month in electricity costs for the unit in the winter. In the summer it will cost significantly less than that. That being said, I have heard about one household that includes people who love to take long hot baths. With the installation of a hot tub, they apparently saw a decrease in their power bills because it costs them less to maintain the temperature of the water in the hot tub than it does to heat water for multiple daily baths. This is merely anecdotal though and I have no proof that this would be the case for other households.
Community Involvement, Energy Conservation
Feb 23, 2011  Comment

Getting the Most Bang for the Conservation Buck

Yukon Energy wants to find out more about how people use electricity in the territory and where the greatest gains might be in terms of Demand Side Management (energy conservation). We've teamed up with the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. and the Yukon government’s Department of Energy, Mines & Resources to collect this information. We have hired ICF Marbek to do what's called a Conservation Potential Review. Marbek has a reputation of being one of Canada’s top energy consulting firms. Through its research, the company will find answers to the following questions: • How do Yukoners currently use energy (i.e. what percentage of energy consumption goes towards heat, hot water, lighting, plug loads, etc.)? • How much power would Yukon need in future years if there weren't any Demand Side Management (DSM) initiatives put in place? • How much potential is there in Yukon for energy savings through DSM initiatives? • Where are the greatest gains to be made in terms of DSM? The consultants will gather the information using customer billing data, stakeholder consultation and customer surveys. They'll also seek input from an advisory committee consisting of some Yukon and some outside representatives from energy sectors and industry. The work will start later this month, with a final report expected by this fall.
Energy Supply
Feb 23, 2011  1

The Change in Energy Prices

Today's question: How can I find out how much energy prices have gone up for those in Whitehorse compared to the rest of the communities over the past 5 years? I want to know for electricity and oil. Thanks! First of all I should explain that for the first 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, all residential customers in Yukon pay the same rate for electricity no matter what community you live in. Above 1,000 kilowatt hours per month, those communities that are on diesel (Old Crow for instance) pay a higher rate, but the majority of Yukon households stay within that first block of 1,000 kilowatt hours each month. Over the last five years, Yukon Energy has not sought any increases in rates for residential customers. In fact once the Minto mine became our customer, we were able to get approval for a rate decrease for our residential customers of 2.47 percent. However in 2009 the utility that distributes most of the power in the territory, the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd., was granted permission to increase residential rates by 10.5 percent. So in the last five years, the net change in residential rates is that they have gone up approximately 8 percent. As far as oil is concerned, you might try contacting the Yukon Housing Corporation, as I believe they keep track of oil prices.
News, Energy Supply, Regulatory
Feb 24, 2011  Comment

The Northwest Transmission Line and What it Could Mean for Yukoners

There's news out of B.C. today that the province has granted environmental approval to the Northwest transmission line. This is a major step forward in BC Hydro's plan to build a power line from Terrace to Bob Quinn Lake to bring remote areas onto the grid.  Why this news will be of interest to Yukoners is that Yukon Energy has for some time been interested in connecting to the North American grid. That would give us the ability to purchase power when we needed it, and sell any excess power we might have in the summertime.  The construction of the Northwest transmission line would bring the grid 335 kilometres closer to us. While that's still not likely close enough to Yukon to make it affordable for us at this point, it's certainly a move in the right direction. This video gives more information about the transmission line. It references Yukon and in fact shows some footage of our new Carmacks-Stewart transmission line.
News, Energy Conservation, Energy Supply, Regulatory
Mar 01, 2011  2

Your Thoughts on Net Metering

We've had lots of questions over the years about when Yukon was going to develop a net meter policy. Net metering would allow homeowners and businesses that produce their own energy to offset their electrical bills by feeding any surplus power back to the grid. Yukon Energy has been working with the Yukon government and the Yukon Electrical Company Limited to develop a draft policy.  The draft is now ready for public review. Give it a read and let us know what you think. You have until April 29th to provide your comments.
News, Community Involvement
Mar 04, 2011  Comment

Playing Our Part at the Arctic Winter Games

Yukon Energy has just signed on as a major sponsor for the Arctic and Dene Sports at next year's Arctic Winter Games in Whitehorse. We are very excited about this partnership. Of all the sports at these circumpolar games, the Arctic and Dene Sports appeal to us the most. That's because at the very heart of these sports is the fact that the competitors share their knowledge and help one another out so that every single one of them can achieve his or her best possible result. This is a theme that has become a core value for us too...working together with as many Yukoners as possible to find the best solutions to Yukon's future energy needs. Whether it's grappling with energy challenges or competing in the two foot high kick, we believe coming together with a common goal in mind can only result in a better outcome. Photo courtesy of the Arctic Winter Games website.
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.
Media Releases
Feb 23, 2011  Comment

Utilities and Government of Yukon to Assess Energy Usage and Conservation Potential

Yukon’s two electrical utilities and the Yukon government’s Department of Energy, Mines & Resources are taking steps to learn more about how electricity is used in the territory and where the greatest gains might be in terms of Demand Side Management (energy conservation). A selection committee made up of representatives from Energy, Mines & Resources, Yukon Energy and Yukon Electrical Company Limited has contracted ICF Marbek to do a Conservation Potential Review. Marbek is considered to be one of Canada’s top energy consulting firms and is a leader in energy management solutions. The review will look at several areas: • How Yukoners currently use energy (i.e. what percentage of energy consumption goes towards heat, hot water, lighting, plug loads, etc.) • How much power would Yukon need in future years if no Demand Side Management (DSM) initiatives were implemented • How much potential is there in Yukon for energy savings through DSM initiatives • Where are the greatest gains to be made in terms of DSM The review will include residential, commercial, and government customer classes and will be further broken down by service regions. An analysis of government and non-government use will also be done. Information will be gathered using customer billing information, stakeholder consultation, customer surveys, and an external advisory committee consisting of some Yukon and some outside representatives from energy sectors and industry. Work to improve the energy efficiency of existing and future industrial customers will be done on a customer by customer basis. The work is to begin later this month, with a final report prepared by this fall. Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333 janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca Phil Borgel P. Eng Supervising Engineer Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd (867) 633-7069 phil.borgel@atco.com

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