About Us

Safety
Aug 04, 2010  Comment

Our Success is No Accident

Fourteen hundred and thirty-four days, or nearly four years...that’s how long it’s been since a Yukon Energy employee has missed a shift as a result of a workplace injury. It’s a statistic that Yukon Energy’s Manager of Health and Safety, Melanie Pettefer, is very proud of. “It’s huge, not just for Yukon Energy but for any utility, given our industry’s potential for exposure to hazards.”   In Melanie’s mind, there are a number of factors that have contributed to our favourable safety record. For one thing, there’s been a shift in mindset. “I think we have a more positive safety culture now than we did a few years ago,” she says. “There seems to be a shared concern among the staff for everyone’s safety.” That can be seen, in part, at the company’s Joint Health and Safety Committee level. The committee, made up of both managers and union employees, is very active and now works from its own Terms of Reference so everyone knows what Occupational Health and Safety and Yukon Energy can expect of them.   Melanie also credits strong leadership, saying that a visible commitment to safety from Senior Management has made a big difference.   Yukon Energy took a giant step forward in terms of safety when, last November, we obtained our Certificate of Recognition (COR). The COR is issued to employers who develop and implement health and safety programs that meet established standards set out by the Northern Safety Network and the Yukon Workers’ Compensation Health and Safety Board. We’ve now taken that further and are requiring any construction contractors bidding on projects over $500,000 in 2010 to be COR certified. The dollar value threshold will be reduced to $100,000 in 2011 and beginning in 2012 it will be a requirement for all construction contractors to have their COR or Small Employer COR.   "When we started working towards COR almost two years ago, there was a lack of written procedures and safe work practices,” Melanie says. “The COR process has forced us to identify our deficiencies, correct them, and have them independently audited afterwards.”   Even with COR, Yukon Energy continues to make improvements aimed at making our workplace the safest it can possibly be. For instance, we are developing a system that will show how we prioritize hazards. We have completely dusted off our Confined Space Program and are also producing a set of safety rules that will be posted in all our work areas. And we are revising all of our policies to reflect our current Health and Safety Management program.   One of the things that helps keep Yukon Energy on track is our affiliation with groups such as the Canadian Electricity Association and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering. “National groups such as these help us keep current with safety,” Melanie says. “It’s a great feeling to know that we’re holding our own and in some cases even exceeding what some other large Canadian utilities are doing.”   Melanie points out that change is difficult, but it was and is needed, and she’s grateful for the support she’s received from her colleagues as she’s worked to bring about this change. “I can’t do it alone. Only together can we make Health and Safety work for everyone at Yukon Energy, but that’s what’s starting to happen here now and it’s very gratifying to see.”
Environment
Aug 05, 2010  Comment

Peak of Summer Water Levels

We had a question the other day from a Yukoner who wondered if the water levels on Marsh Lake had reached their peak yet. In fact we don't expect the levels to peak until late this month or sometime next month. Here you can find the latest water level chart. As always, please let us know if you have any questions.
Energy Supply
Aug 05, 2010  Comment

Mayo B Update

Our latest newsletter on the Mayo B project is out. We welcome your comments and questions about this project.
Energy Supply
Aug 05, 2010  Comment

Geo-thermal Research Yields Promising Early Results

If you are a regular visitor to this blog you will know that Yukon Energy is exploring all possible options in our search for more clean, renewable energy. In 2008 we began looking for geo-thermal sources in the territory that could provide water hot enough for energy production (the water must be at a minimum in the 100 to 120 degree Celsius range). Because the Yukon is in what's referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the geo-thermal potential in the territory is fairly high. We have hot springs and young volcanoes, both indicators of geo-thermal activity. The challenge is finding a good source that is relatively close to our existing transmission system.  Over the last couple of years we have been using satellite-based technology, including infrared heat seeking equipment, to narrow our search. We have found encouraging results in several areas, including spots in the Central Yukon and around Whitehorse and Haines Junction. In particular, the Jarvis Creek area near Haines Junction appears to offer good geo-thermal potential. The water tested there was about 80 degrees Celsius. We believe if we drill down further we will find water even hotter; hopefully hot enough for energy production. We carried out a small drilling program last year at Jarvis Creek and we plan to continue that work this fall.  We are working with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations on this initiative and they seem interested in pursuing this as a potential project. We expect it will be another two years before we know for sure if electricity produced through geo-thermal means is a viable option for the Yukon. We will keep you informed as we move forward and gather more information. How Does a Geo-thermal Plant Work? A geo-thermal plant operates the same way a steam plant does. The water is brought to the surface, the water's steam is used to operate a generator, and then the water is returned deep underground from where it came. Geo-thermal operations have small footprints, they are very efficient, and they are a clean and renewable source of electricity.  
Community Involvement
Aug 18, 2010  Comment

Celebrating the Salmon

A reminder that tonight is our Open House at the Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder. It's taking place from 5 to 9 p.m. There'll be free cake and refreshments, games for the children, and some great door prizes. Everyone is welcome. On a related topic, if you're interested in following the numbers of salmon arriving at the fishladder each day, we keep a running count on our web site, on the same page as our underwater salmon camera.
Energy Supply
Aug 18, 2010  2

The Latest Water Levels on Marsh Lake

For those of you following the Marsh Lake water level charts that we've been posting regularly, we have a new one which can be found here. You'll notice that the water still has not reached what is known as the Full Supply Level. Our water license sets out a range in which we can operate...if the water goes above the high level, known as the Full Supply Level, it will have done so naturally and not because of any regulation of the lake on our part. Our license also says that if the water has not reached Full Supply Level by August 15th, we can close some of our gates at the Marsh Lake control structure, allowing us to store some water for use later in the year. Earlier this week we closed five gates. However we will keep a close eye on the water levels and if the water does reach Full Supply Level we will again open those gates. 
Environment
Sep 01, 2010  Comment

Preserving the Past

A couple of years ago while doing studies around Mayo Lake, Yukon Energy became aware of two heritage resources sites that needed some attention. In conjunction with the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun we embarked on a project to protect and preserve the heritage values that the sites contained. This summer we hired a consultant to work with the NND heritage department in recovering artifacts from one site and further characterizing and protecting the other site. One site in particular yielded a large number of scrapers, flakes, burned bones and other tools including two arrow heads. The artifacts were recovered, catalogued and now rest with the heritage departments of the NND and Yukon government. The second site was protected from future shoreline erosion with riprap. This is an example of Yukon Energy’s commitment to, where possible and practical, restore and protect areas that have been impacted by past legacy projects. Photos below: 1) scraper; 2) Na-cho Nyak Dun citizens assist with the excavation; 3) clear quartz flake.  

Environment
Sep 01, 2010  2

The Silver Lining in the Dark Cloud

Of course no one wants or likes power outages. However there was one good thing that happened as a result of an outage on August 18th. It allowed us to find a new tool to help the Yukon River Chinook salmon reach their spawning grounds upstream from the Whitehorse Rapids fishladder.  During the outage, we first had to increase the amount of water we allowed through the spillway of our Whitehorse dam so that our reservoir, Schwatka Lake, would not overflow. Then we slowed the flow so that the lake could re-fill. The extra water seemed to push the salmon closer to the entrance of the ladder. Then when the water flow was cut back the fish seemed to be enticed by the water flowing in the ladder. More than 100 salmon swam up the ladder in the few hours after the power outage.  We had never seen anything like this before. Working with fishladder and fish hatchery staff, we simulated these conditions four times over the last two weeks (minus the outage of course). Each time there was a similar response from the salmon. The faster the salmon can move through the fishladder and get to their spawning grounds the better it is for their health, so we hope to be able to use this tool in future years as a way of helping the fish on their migration. However we can't guarantee that we'll be able to do this every year; it will depend on summer water levels.
Energy Supply
Sep 07, 2010  2

No Easy Answers

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will know that Yukon Energy is exploring the possibility of putting a weir on the Atlin River, allowing us to slow the flow of water from Atlin Lake in the fall so that there would be more water for us to use for winter power production. A number of people have asked, "Why don't you instead buy power from the existing hydro dam on Pine Creek in Atlin?" Yukon Energy would love to be able to purchase power from the Taku River Tlinigit First Nation, which owns and operates the plant. However it's not that simple. First of all, the First Nation doesn’t have the amount of power that we need. It could opt to build a second power plant for additional hydro, although we don’t know how that would be received by the residents of Atlin. Then there would be the cost of us building a transmission line from Atlin to Jake’s Corner in the Yukon. We would also need to buy the power from the First Nation, adding to the total cost per kilowatt hour. We calculate power via a transmission line would cost between 20 to 25 cents/kilowatt hour, compared to the weir option which would be in the 7 to 10 cents/kilowatt hour range. We are looking at a whole range of possible sources of clean energy, including enhancing our existing hydro facilities (Mayo B, a third turbine for Aishihik, the Gladstone Diversion concept, the Southern Lakes Storage proposal), geo-thermal, additional wind, waste to energy, and energy conservation. In almost all those cases, there are no easy or perfect solutions and there is often the need to weigh the pros and cons and move forward with what we see as the best choices given the circumstances. We are certainly open to any and all suggestions for what we can do to meet the growing demand for electricity in the Yukon, keeping in mind that we are committed to providing power with clean, renewable sources.
Energy Supply
Sep 15, 2010  Comment

Atlin Office Closing

Every Friday throughout the summer, Yukon Energy representatives have been in Atlin to give residents the chance to ask us questions or pass along comments regarding the Southern Lakes enhancements concepts we are exploring. We committed to keeping our Atlin office open until mid-September. This Friday will be the last day the office will be operating. We'd like to thank everyone who took the time to come visit us and we are happy to come back to the community once we have the results of our first season of field studies, likely sometime in November. We have compiled a list of the questions we were asked most often this summer in Atlin and thought it might be useful to share it with you.
News
Sep 16, 2010  Comment

What You Said About Us

This summer Yukon Energy hired a firm to conduct a series of phone and on-line opinion surveys for us. The purpose of the surveys was to get a sense of what the general Yukon public and local business and community leaders know and believe about the Corporation. The information gathered assisted us in developing a public information campaign aimed at helping Yukoners better understand who Yukon Energy is, what we are working to achieve, and why. We were impressed with Yukoners’ higher-than-average interest in participating in the research. When asked to answer questions about Yukon Energy, very few people said no. In total, more than 600 people from nine Yukon communities took part in the surveys. The full results can be found here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).  For those of you who would like the Readers' Digest version, here is a summary: -Yukoners understand that hydro-generated electricity is the mainstay of power generation in the Yukon, but strongly support the development of alternative energy sources to supplement hydro. You want Yukon Energy to bring forward creative ideas in meeting future energy needs. -Yukoners strongly support the need for energy conservation as part of the solution to managing the Yukon’s energy supply and you see this as a shared responsibility among the public, the business community and big industry. -Yukoners have confidence in Yukon Energy’s ability to plan, develop and manage the Yukon’s energy needs but are concerned that political and vested interest groups can be detrimental to effective, strategic, long-term planning. -Yukoners feel you pay less or the same for energy as your northern counterparts and more than southern Canadians. -Yukoners want to remain engaged in the discussion around the Yukon’s energy issues and needs and Yukon Energy’s objectives for a clean energy future that fits well with a public desire for cleaner energy alternatives. We'd like to thank everyone who participated in the survey. While this was the first survey of this kind that Yukon Energy has done, it certainly won't be the last, and we will continue to communicate with stakeholders and the Yukon public about our plans and initiatives as we work to implement the priorities identified in the survey.  A note of congratulations to Erin Giesbrecht, seen below, who is the winner of an iPad (in awarding this prize we randomly drew Erin's name from all those who filled out the online survey).

Reliability
Sep 17, 2010  Comment

The Equipment Guard

Yukon Energy is working hard to provide you with safe and reliable power. Once again this year, we are spending two-thirds of our core maintenance budget on projects that will improve reliability. However despite our best efforts, power outages do sometimes occur. That's why we encourage you to invest in protection for your appliances and electronic equipment. There are a few options to choose from: Outside Surge Protectors These are sometimes called outside surge arresters and a qualified electrician can install them on your electric meter or panel to help protect your electronic equipment. Inside Surge Protectors These devices are installed directly between the equipment you want to protect and the wall outlet. They act as the last line of defense against power surges. Using these in combination with outside surge protectors gives you a higher level of protection. Surge protectors act like electrical sponges, sopping up excess energy and preventing most of it from reaching your equipment. And like sponges, surge protectors can only absorb so much excess energy. So it's important to choose a surge protector with the appropriate features and ratings to match the equipment you want to protect. Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Systems In an outage, a UPS will quickly switch to backup battery power. UPS are not designed for continuous use over a long period of time. Instead, the ones designed for home use give you about half an hour to save work on your PC and safely shutdown or turn off your sensitive equipment.   Before purchasing any of these systems we suggest you consult with knowledgeable and reputable businesses that can advise you on what would best meet your needs.    Equipment that needs surge protection includes: home appliances personal computers/laptops computer monitors televisions DVD, blu-ray and video game consoles printers copy machines external zip drives/CD ROM drives gas pump controls credit/debit card approval systems cash registers bar code scanners

Energy Supply
Sep 24, 2010  Comment

The Latest on our Carmacks-Stewart Transmission Project

It's been a while since we brought you up to date on the work being done on the Carmacks to Stewart transmission line. Crews are almost finished installing Stage 2 of the line. Valard Construction (the main line construction contractor) and Arctic Power (one of Valard’s partners) have just about completed the work of setting and framing the power poles and stringing the line between Pelly Crossing and Stewart Crossing. They expect to be finished by the end of October. Valard, in partnership with the Northern Tutchone First Nations, is the same company that built the transmission line for Stage 1, which runs from Carmacks to Pelly Crossing. Valard has again partnered with the Northern Tutchone First Nations to complete Stage 2. The other major part of this project involves building or modifying three substations. A new substation is needed at Stewart Crossing to join Yukon Energy’s two transmission systems (the Whitehorse-Aishihik-Faro grid and the Mayo-Dawson grid). Another substation is being built at Pelly Crossing. An existing substation at Minto Landing must be expanded to accommodate the new section of line. Work on the substations has started and should continue until next spring. The entire project is on budget and the line is scheduled to be operating by the beginning of May 2011. The new line will connect Yukon’s two major power grids, giving more flexibility and stability to our transmission system. Photo of crew installing crossbars: www.archbould.com.
Media Releases
Aug 13, 2010  Comment

Low Water Forces Suspension of Secondary Sales

Low water at the Aishihik and Mayo hydro facilities is forcing Yukon Energy to indefinitely suspend its wholesale Secondary Sales to Yukon Electrical Company Limited (YECL). Secondary Sales will also be suspended to Yukon Energy’s retail customer, the Mayo school. The Secondary Sales Program will be curtailed as of September 1, 2010. The program has operated since 1998. It gave eligible Yukon businesses the option of using hydro power to heat their facilities instead of diesel fuel or propane, both of which are more expensive. They paid two-thirds of the cost of ‘firm’ power, in exchange for the service being limited and fully interruptible. They were required to maintain a back-up heating system for use when Secondary Sales were not available, such as on cold winter days. “We have always been upfront about the fact that Secondary Sales would only be offered as long as there was surplus hydro electricity,” Yukon Energy spokesperson Janet Patterson said. “Secondary Sales customers have for the past several years benefited from this program and have seen substantial savings. However we are now at a point where, for the good of the vast majority of Yukoners, we must suspend the program indefinitely.” At Aishihik the water flows this summer are about 70 percent of what they are during an average year and they are expected to drop even further over the next several months to about 60 percent of average. At Mayo the flows are about 80 percent of what they are normally. Continuing with Secondary Sales would mean Yukon Energy would be forced to burn more diesel to make up the hydro short-fall. Now that Yukon Energy has notified Yukon Electrical Company Limited of the decision, YECL will in turn tell its 20 Secondary Sales customers. “By suspending Secondary Sales, Yukon Energy is making the best possible use of the clean, renewable energy that is available to us,” Patterson said. “In the meantime, we are continuing to explore all avenues for additional clean power to help us meet the territory’s future electrical needs.” Contact: Janet Patterson Supervisor, Communications Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333 (867) 335-1519  janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca
Media Releases
Sep 29, 2010  Comment

Yukon Energy Files Alexco Power Purchase Agreement With Utilities Board

Yukon Energy has asked the Yukon Utilities Board to approve a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) reached between the energy corporation and Alexco Resources. The agreement is for the supply of electricity to the new mine and mill site at Keno. The PPA also covers any other new mine/mill operation that Alexco develops in the Keno area in the future. Under the terms of the PPA and pending Utilities Board approval, Alexco will be responsible for the full cost of: construction of a 1.65 kilometre spur line from Yukon Energy’s Mayo to Keno transmission line to the mill site (approximate cost $330-thousand). negotiating and concluding the Power Purchase Agreement, including the regulatory costs (approximately $100-thousand). decommissioning of Yukon Energy’s spur line once the mill shuts down. In addition, Alexco will pay a fixed charge of almost $7,300 per month for as long as it purchases power from Yukon Energy as an industrial customer. The money will help pay the costs of Yukon Energy’s existing Mayo-Keno transmission line. Alexco will pay the Industrial power rate set by the Yukon Utilities Board. The rate is approximately 10.5 cents per kilowatt hour, depending on Alexco’s peak demand. Alexco plans to begin mining and milling operations sometime in October. It will require approximately two megawatts of power at any given time. The full application to the Utilities Board, including the Power Purchase Agreement, can be found here. Contact: Janet Patterson Communications Supervisor Yukon Energy Corporation (867) 393-5333  janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca

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