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, Media Releases
Jul 13, 2020  Comment

Yukon Energy Signs Agreement to Purchase Solar Power from Solvest Inc.

Yukon Energy Corporation has signed the first Electricity Purchase Agreement with an Independent Power Producer on the Yukon Integrated Electricity System. The agreement signed with Solvest Inc. outlines Yukon Energy’s commitment to purchase the renewable electricity generated by Solvest’s proposed 1.0 megawatt solar project on the North Klondike Highway for the next 25 years. The agreement was signed as part of Yukon government’s Independent Power Production Policy’s Standing Offer Program. Signing the Electricity Purchase Agreement will increase the supply of renewable electricity on the Yukon grid once Solvest’s solar project is complete. The additional source of renewable electricity will help offset Yukon Energy’s use of diesel and liquefied natural gas, particularly between the months of April and June each year when the amount of solar energy generated by Solvest’s solar array is expected to be the greatest. Solvest’s 1.0 megawatt solar project is scheduled to be complete in November 2020. Once constructed, Solvest’s solar project will be the largest solar array in the territory. Solvest will join the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation government in being the second independently developed and operated, utility-scale solar project in the territory. Quotes As demand for electricity grows, it is important that we increase the amount generated from renewable sources. This local renewable energy project creates jobs and opportunities for Yukon businesses, supports energy self-sufficiency, makes us less vulnerable to changing fuel prices and helps us transition to a clean energy economy. Signing this agreement brings certainty to Solvest as a green economy investor and to Yukon Energy and its customers on the price paid for power over the next 25 years. – Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources Ranj Pillai Yukon Energy is committed to renewables. By 2030, our goal is to have more than 97% of the electricity generated on the Yukon grid, on average, to come from renewable sources. In addition to the renewable projects we are building on our own, entering into these types of agreements with Independent Power Producers and purchasing locally-owned and generated renewable electricity helps us reach our renewable electricity target and build a sustainable energy future in Yukon. – Yukon Energy Corporation President and CEO Andrew Hall Solvest is pleased to take a leading role in renewable energy development in the Yukon. This project will provide an economically viable example of solar in the north and help encourage further development of renewable energy here and across northern Canada. As a local company, we look forward to working with Yukon government, Yukon Energy and ATCO Electric Yukon to bring this project online and begin supplying Yukoners with renewable energy for decades to come. – Solvest Vice-President Ben Power Quick facts Once constructed, Solvest’s solar array will be the largest solar array in operating in the territory. It will generate approximately 1.84 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity each year – about the same amount of electricity used by 153 Yukon homes in a year. The project is expected to generate most of its solar power between the months of April and June. There are three approaches to developing an Independent Power Production project: the Standing Offer Program for smaller projects that go through an application process, the Call of Power where utilities seek out larger projects and Unsolicited Proposals where projects are submitted to utilities. This agreement is under the Standing Offer Program. Stephanie Cunha Communications, Yukon Energy Corporation 867- 334-7760 stephanie.cunha@yec.yk.ca Anne Huang Communications, Solvest Inc. 867-457-5690 press@solvest.ca Brigitte Parker Communications, Energy, Mines and Resources 867- 667-3183 Brigitte.Parker@gov.yk.ca
News, Reliability
Jun 11, 2020  Comment

Whitehorse diesel engine sound monitoring results

This past April, we had to run company-owned diesel engines in Whitehorse, Mayo, Dawson City and Faro to generate electricity because of low water levels and one of our liquefied natural gas generators in Whitehorse being out-of-service. During that time, we heard concerns from some Riverdale residents in Whitehorse about noise levels coming from the Whitehorse diesel plant, and committed to hiring an independent consultant to monitor sound levels. The consultant’s research is complete and shows that when our four company-owned diesel units in Whitehorse were running this spring, sound levels: At our Riverside substation near homes on Nisutlin Drive (approx. 250 metres from the diesel plant) were higher than levels permitted by the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (BC OGC) and Health Canada; and Near homes on Bell Crescent (approx. 450 metres from the diesel plant) were lower than BC OGC and Health Canada guidelines. The British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission’s (BC OGC) Noise Control Best Practices Guidelines and Health Canada’s Guidance for Evaluating Human Health Impacts in Environmental Assessment: Noise are two standards commonly used in Yukon as guidelines to assess sound levels for industrial activities. Specific measurements of the sound levels recorded at each site and the sound thresholds set in each guideline are included in two summary tables at the end of this article. Knowing these results, we will: Look into what it would take to install a permanent sound monitoring device at the Riverside substation on Nisutlin Drive. Our goal is to always be aware of how much noise is being emitted by the diesel generators and for an alert to be sent to us if we are nearing permissible limits. Explore possible ways to reduce noise levels at the Whitehorse diesel plant. This may include adding equipment to the generators to muffle noise, making changes to the building or other options. Thank you to all residents who contacted us about this matter and offered us the use of their yard to do this important work. We apologize for the disturbance these generators caused and are optimistic that as we work to build and integrate more renewables onto the grid, that our reliance on diesel and LNG generators during spring months will be reduced. Table 1.0 Sound Monitoring Levels Compared to BC OCG Guidelines Sound Monitoring Location Measured Daytime Noise (dB) BCOG Daytime Noise Permissible Sound Level (dB) Difference (dB) Riverside substation (Nisutlin Drive) 66.4 61 +5.4 Bell Crescent 52.5 61 -8.5 Table 2.0 Sound Monitoring Levels Compared to Health Canada Guidelines Sound Monitoring Location Calculated % Change in Operating & Non-Operating Sound Levels Maximum % Change Permitted in Operating & Non-Operating Sound Levels Difference (dB) Riverside substation (Nisutlin Drive) 11.4% 6.5% +4.9% Bell Crescent -1.5% 6.5% -8.5%

Jun 08, 2020  Comment

Public statement about reported conduct of an employee

June 8, 2020: At Yukon Energy, we are committed to treating all of our customers with dignity and respect, and to being good neighbours in the communities we serve. Over the last few days, we’ve heard concerns from Dawson City residents about the conduct of one of our employees and his actions to take down Black Lives Matter posters placed on our power poles. Reports of any sort of disrespectful behaviour are deeply concerning to us. We are completing a full investigation into the events that occurred this weekend and will take swift action to ensure that an incident like this doesn’t happen again. We condemn any sort of aggressive behaviour towards our customers. We reject racism and discrimination of any kind in the strongest terms. We are proud to serve all Yukoners and believe that diversity, inclusion and equality in our business and communities makes us stronger. We are sorry for the hurt and pain this incident has caused residents in Dawson City. We are committed to making this right and with time, rebuilding trust with our customers, friends and neighbours.
Power Outage Updates, Reliability
Apr 27, 2020  Comment

Power Outage: April 27, 2020 Drury Creek

April 27, 2020 9:00 p.m. update: Crews have found a tree on the power line near Little Salmon Lake Campground. Please avoid the area. Assume all low hanging and downed power lines are still energized and stay at least 10 meters (or 33 feet back). Yukon Energy crews are responding. 8:30 p.m. update: Yukon Energy crews from Whitehorse are responding to a power outage in Drury Creek. Suspected cause is a fault on the transmission line between Carmacks and Faro. Whitehorse crews are bringing a portable generator to Drury Creek in case extensive repairs on the transmission line are needed. The generator should be connected in the next 3 to 4 hours. Power in Faro right now is begin generated at the local diesel plant.
Apr 21, 2020  Comment

Drought conditions in 2019 means more electricity generated using LNG and diesel this spring

Hydro plays a key role in Yukon’s electricity mix. Historically, we’ve generated over 90% of the electricity in Yukon using water. Running a hydro operation means being at the mercy of available water. We have three hydroelectric generation facilities in Whitehorse, Aishihik and Mayo. Drought conditions and low snow pack levels across much of Yukon in 2019 has resulted in lower than normal water levels at all three of our hydro reservoirs this year. Colder-than-normal temperatures between January and April 2019 also caused inflows to each of the hydro reservoirs to be lower than normal for this time of year and for more hydro power to be needed during those months. As a result, less water is available to generate the power Yukoners need this spring and we are having to use LNG and diesel to fill the gap. Unfortunately, one of our LNG units is also out-of-service for repairs meaning we’re having to use more diesel across the territory. We recognize that our diesel units are louder than our hydro and LNG units, so we are installing noise monitors and continually assessing water levels and inflows to minimize how much we run the diesel units. Please see the document below for more information about snowpack levels this year. HOW YOU CAN HELP – CONSERVE ELECTRICITY With every simple conservation choice we make, we reduce the need to use LNG and diesel to generate electricity and save more of Yukon’s resources for the future. Make simple choices – turn off the lights when you leave a room, take a five-minute shower instead of 10, use LEDs instead of incandescent lights. In addition to being good for the environment, these simple acts also save you money each month by lowering your power bill. Electricity conservation makes your life better — in real, everyday ways. For more energy conservation tips, visit inchargeyukon.ca.
Power Outage Updates, Reliability
Apr 07, 2020  Comment

Power Outage, April 7, 2020

Power has been safely restored to customers affected by a power outage this morning. The outage affected parts of Dawson, Hunker Creek, Whitehorse (WhistleBend, Northlands) and along the Mayo Road. The outage was caused by a trip at Yukon Energy's LNG facility in Whitehorse. The reason for the trip is being investigated at this time.
News, Media Releases, Billing, Reliability, Safety
Mar 24, 2020  Comment

Yukon Energy taking additional steps to keep employees and Yukoners safe and healthy following two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Yukon

Yukon Energy Corporation is putting additional measures in place to keep its employees, customers and communities safe and healthy after the Yukon Chief Medical Officer of Health confirmed two cases of COVID-19 in Yukon on Sunday, March 22. The Corporation’s latest actions serve to help flatten the curve and keep the lights on across Yukon. The Corporation’s adjusted business practices were put into place this week and will continue for the foreseeable future. Restricting visitors to all Yukon Energy offices and facilities. Yukon Energy’s customer service office in Dawson City is now closed to the public until further notice. During this closure, customers can continue to make bill payments or general inquiries by calling or emailing Yukon Energy’s Dawson City office where employees continue to work. Customers can call (867) 993-5565 or 1-877-712-3375, or email billing@yukonenergy.ca. Yukon Energy’s Dawson City office hours will continue to be: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon, and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. All contractors, consultants and visitors are directed not to visit any Yukon Energy office or site. Exceptions will be made to critical services such as fuel delivery, supply shipments, contractors required for emergency maintenance, and mail and janitorial services. Limiting employee presence at sites. All Yukon Energy employees who can work from home continue to do so. Operational staff will now work on a rotational basis in effort to minimize the risk of employees being exposed to COVID-19. Yukon Energy emergency response crews remain available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week to respond to power outages and electrical emergencies in all communities the Corporation serves across the territory. To report an outage, customers are asked to continue to call 1-800-676-2843. Suspending all non-essential travel outside of Yukon and to remote Yukon communities. All non-essential maintenance projects have been postponed. Customer requests for seasonal reconnects and new electrical services will proceed as planned. Electricity meters in Dawson and Mayo will continue to be read by Yukon Energy employees; all other Yukon Energy customer meters will be estimated in the short-term. Previous precautions initiated by the Corporation on March 16, 2020 will also continue, including: travel restrictions and self-isolation requirements; enhanced hygiene and social-distancing protocols; and postponement of community meetings. The Corporation has developed a COVID-19 page on its website, yukonenergy.ca, where updates about the Corporation’s precautionary measures will be posted. The webpage also includes a comment form that Yukoners can use if they have questions. -30- Quote: “As Yukoners ourselves, we are deeply invested in the safety and well-being of our employees, customers and community. The additional precautions we’ve put in place today will help us flatten the curve and help ensure we have the resources in place to keep the lights on across Yukon. We are ready and committed to do all we can to curb the spread of COVID-19 and to support one another through the days and weeks ahead.” Andrew Hall President and CEO, Yukon Energy Contact: Stephanie Cunha Manager, Communications Yukon Energy 867-334-7760 stephanie.cunha@yec.yk.ca
Power Outage Updates
Feb 13, 2020  Comment

Power outage, Thursday, February 13, 2020

Update - 2:15 p.m.: We are aware of an outage currently affecting the following communities: In Whitehorse: Riverdale, Range Road, Whistle Bend, and parts of Porter Creek. All neighbourhoods North and South of the City. Crews are on site and working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Dawson City and Mayo were also affected by this outage. Power has been restored in those communities. Cause of the outage: A trip at our LNG and Whitehorse hydro stations. Why? Not sure. Our first priority is getting the power back on. As soon as power is restored, we will look into what caused it Update - 2:55 p.m.: ATCO Electric Yukon reports that crews are working to get power back on in downtown, Riverdale and north of Whitehorse right now. Update - 3:00 p.m.: ATCO Electric Yukon reports that they are working on restoring power south of Whitehorse right now. Update - 3:45 p.m.: Power is restored to all customers. We've been able to determine that today's outage started when our largest Whitehorse hydro facility (#4) tripped which caused it and our LNG facility to go off-line. We are now looking to find out why the hydro unit tripped in the first place.
Power Outage Updates
Feb 07, 2020  Comment

Power Outage, Friday, February 7, 2020

Update -  9 p.m: We are aware of outages affecting Dawson City, Mayo, neighbourhoods in Whitehorse, and north and south of Whitehorse. Cause of the outage is unknown at this time. Crews are onsite assessing the scope of the outage and working to restore power as quickly as possible. Updates to follow. Update -  9:20 p.m.: Crews have been able to restore power in Mayo and parts of Dawson. Restoration in Whitehorse and communities north and south of the city will begin shortly. Update -  10:45 p.m. Remaining customers in Dawson have power back as well as the majority of customers in and around Whitehorse. The remainder of customers should have power back on within minutes Update - 11 p.m. All power has been restored. Tonight's outages were caused by a loss in power supply. This means something happened that caused one or more of our power generators to trip. When this happens, the amount of power we can generate and supply to the grid decreases, and the amount of power Yukoners need is more than what is available. That's when the power outage happened. Now, what caused the generators to trip? That's what our team will be working on over the next few days to figure out. Sorry for the trouble tonight's outage caused. Update - February 11, noon:  Following a thorough review of Friday’s outage, we’ve been able to determine that the outage was caused by a communications failure. When the failure occurred, our Whitehorse LNG facility, and our Whitehorse Hydro # 4 and Aishihik #3 units tripped. This communication failure is also the reason why Friday’s outage took a bit longer to restore than normal. Since our communication with each power plant was lost, power plants in Dawson, Mayo, Whitehorse and Aishihik had to be operated manually. Thank you again for everyone’s patience and understanding Friday night.
News, Media Releases, Energy Supply, Partnerships, Reliability
Jan 29, 2020  Comment

Yukon Energy provides a sneak-peek of its draft plan to meet growing demands for renewable electricity in Yukon

Yukon Energy President and CEO, Andrew Hall, shared highlights of the Corporation’s draft 10-Year Renewable Electricity Plan at the Building Partnerships: The Future for Renewable Energy Growth in Yukon conference in Whitehorse today. Yukon Energy built the draft renewable electricity plan to support priorities identified in its 2019-2024 Strategic Plan and the Yukon government’s draft climate change strategy. The plan also builds on the Corporation’s decision not to proceed with a new 20 megawatt thermal power plant. Mr. Hall’s presentation focused on the portfolio of critical projects and partnerships needed by 2030 to address the increasing demands for electricity that will result from the Yukon government policies and actions outlined in the November 2019 draft Our Clean Future: A Yukon strategy for climate change, energy and green economy strategy. In the document, Yukon government proposes an average of 93 per cent of electricity generated on the grid to come from renewable sources, and includes specific actions to electrify the territory’s transportation and heating sectors. Key projects highlighted in Yukon Energy’s draft 10-Year Renewable Electricity Plan are located primarily in the Southern Lakes region, an area rich with potential for hydro power and pumped storage. Specific projects proposed by Yukon Energy in the plan include: Constructing a new pumped storage facility at Moon Lake. Sourcing renewable electricity from the planned expansion of the Atlin hydro plant owned by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation. Expanding and upgrading the transmission network in the Southern Lakes region. The proposed pump storage facility would allow surplus renewable electricity generated in the summer to be used to decrease dependency on fossil fuel power generation during the winter. The expanded Southern Lakes transmission network would serve to connect the Atlin hydro plant and Moon Lake pumped storage facility to the Yukon grid, as well as potential First Nation-owned renewable projects in the Southern Lakes region. The transmission system would also create the opportunity for future sales of surplus renewable electricity to Skagway. Plans for each of the projects are in very early stages. Yukon Energy notes that working with First Nation governments and development corporations to explore partnership opportunities and to further assess the projects are critical to success. Yukon Energy’s draft plan also includes new supply projects already being planned by the Corporation including battery storage, hydro uprates and storage enhancements, electricity purchases from Independent Power Producers, connection of Micro-Generation participants, demand-side management programs, and the replacement of end-of-life diesel generation. Projects in the 10-year Renewable Electricity Plan are estimated to cost in excess of $500 million, the largest investment ever made by Yukon Energy. Federal funding for the plan will be key to keeping the plan affordable for customers and minimizing risks. A summary of Yukon Energy’s draft 10-Year Renewable Electricity Plan is available here. A full copy of the draft report will be released in February. Yukoners are invited to provide their input on the draft plan by attending community meetings or submitting their comments at yukonenergy.ca until April 10, 2020. Quote: “The 10-Year Renewable Electricity Plan presents an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Yukon to invest in the critical infrastructure needed to support a green future for the territory. Ultimately the success of the plan hinges on everyone – First Nation governments and development corporations, the Yukon and federal governments, electric utilities, and Yukon residents and businesses – all working together.” Andrew Hall, President and CEO, Yukon Energy. -30- Contact: Stephanie Cunha Manager, Communications Yukon Energy 867-393-5333 stephanie.cunha@yec.yk.ca 
Power Outage Updates
Jan 09, 2020  Comment

Whitehorse Outage: January 9, 2020

8:55 a.m.: We are aware of a power outage affecting parts of Cooper Ridge, Arkell, Granger, Hillcrest and around the airport. Our crews are working with ATCO Electric Yukon to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.  9:00 a.m.: Power has been restored to all customers. Thank you for your patience. Crews will now be looking to determine the exact cause of the outage. 9:10 a.m.: This morning's outage was caused by a trip at our Whitehorse LNG facility which caused us to lose about 12 MW of electricity on the system. This caused the outage. The LNG units were restarted and are on-line again.
News, Billing, Regulatory
Dec 04, 2019  Comment

Yukon Utilities Board approves 4.7 per cent permanent increase to electricity bills

On November 24, 2019, our regulator, the Yukon Utilities Board approved a 4.7 per cent permanent increase to electricity bills, effective December 1, 2019. The decision follow a 29-month review of Yukon Energy’s 2017/2018 General Rate Application and a 4.6 per cent interim increase to bills on September 1, 2017. The 4.7 per cent permanent increase will add: $7.90 per month to the Average Residential Electricity Bill $13.77 per month to the Average Commercial Electricity Bill Yukon's continuing demand for sustainable and reliable electricity comes at a cost. To ensure we have it, Yukon Energy invests millions of dollars each year to build, operate and maintain our electricity supply and transmission assets. The increase to electricity bills was needed to pay for: past costs to upgrade aging infrastructure and build new projects; and increasing costs for labour, materials and contractors. Despite the permanent increase, Yukon's residential electricity bills are still the lowest in the North and competitive with other jurisdictions in Canada and the United States. REGULATORY DELAYS WILL COMPOND THE EFFECT OF INCREASE ON CUSTOMERS All increases to electricity bills are carefully reviewed and scrutinized by the Yukon Utilities Board. Rate applications usually take about a year to complete. Our 2017/2018 General Rate Application took 29 months from start to finish. Unfortunately, this means a delay in collecting revenue from 2017, 2018 and 11 months of 2019. We now have to collect this money at the same time that we collect revenue that we need to operate today. To do this, electricity bills will increase by an additional 7.1 per cent between December 1, 2019 and November 30, 2021. The 7.1 per cent temporary increase will add an additional: $12.58 per month to the Average Residential Electricity Bill $21.92 per month to the Average Commercial Electricity Bill WHAT YUKONERS CAN DO TO SAVE MONEY ON THEIR ELECTRICITY BILLS We know that even a small rate increase is a hardship for some people. The best way for Yukoners to reduce their electricity bill is to reduce the amount of electricity they use. Fortunately, using less electricity can be as easy as: Turning off lights when you leave a room. Taking a five-minute shower instead of 10. Using LEDs instead of incandescent lights. Using a block heater to charge your vehicle only three hours before you need it. Using a programmable thermostat to heat your home only when you are there. A plain language summary is available below with more details about how the increases will appear on customer bills.
Oct 06, 2019  Comment

Power Outages: October 6, 2019

Heavy snow and trees on power lines has caused power outages in multiple neighbourhoods in and around Whitehorse this morning. Yukon Energy and ATCO Electric Yukon crews are responding. If you experience a power outage today, please call ATCO Electric Yukon at 867-633-7000. They will send a crew out to investigate. Please also keep your safety top of mind today as you're out and about. Stay at least 10 metres back of low-hanging or downed power lines at report them at 867-633-7000 right away!
Oct 01, 2019  Comment

Get on Board

We’re committed to including the knowledge and views of Yukon First Nations in the decisions we make and are looking for a Yukon First Nation citizen to fill a director position on our board. Preferably applicants will have the following skills: an understanding of financial statements and generally accepted accounting principles; experience in review and analysis of financial statements/reports; understanding of the financial audit cycle; familiarity with concepts and application of enterprise risk management; knowledge of regulatory accounting; and experience with chair duties. Please send completed application forms, resumes and cover letters by November 1, 2019 to Megan.Yakiwchuk@yec.yk.ca Information about Yukon Energy’s Board of Directors can be found here. For more information please contact Megan Yakiwchuk at Megan.Yakiwchuk@yec.yk.ca.
Sep 20, 2019  Comment

Sept 19, 2019 Power Outage

On September 19, 2019, a trip at our Aishihik power plant caused a power outage that affected approximately 7,400 customers in communities across Yukon. The outage began at approximately 3:50 in the afternoon. By 6:10 yesterday evening, power was restored to all customers. Details about what caused the Aishihik power plant to trip are unknown. We're conducting a full review of the outage to determine why one of the generating units tripped and will take action to correct whatever is found to be the cause. We recognize that power outages have an impact on Yukoners and thank those affected by the outage yesterday for their patience and understanding.

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