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

Environment
Jun 15, 2010  Comment

Summer Water Levels

Levels in the Southern Lakes upstream from our Whitehorse Rapids hydro facility can vary greatly from year to year, depending on winter snowfall, summer rain, and summer temperatures (which affect the amount of glacial melt in the area). A hot, rainy summer, especially if it follows a winter with heavy snowfall, can mean potential flooding of properties in low-lying areas near Marsh and Tagish Lakes. Yukon Energy is often asked what we can do to help prevent flooding of people's properties in the high water level years. There is a misconception that if we would only let more water through our Whitehorse dam or our Lewes Lake gates, there wouldn't be a flooding problem. The truth is that under our water license, we must have all our gates open no later than May 15 of each year. That means that we hold no water back during the summer months, and we have no ability to increase the water flow from the Southern Lakes. However what we can do is share our information with local residents about what we expect summer water levels to be like each year. This will help people prepare their property for possible flooding in high water years. In 2010, after taking into account the lower than normal snow pack from the previous winter and Environment Canada's long range forecast, we expect levels to be on the low side, just reaching our licensed Full Supply Level of 656.234 metres. This chart shows a light blue solid line that becomes dotted as we look into the future. We believe summer peak water levels will be in the range of this blue line. This chart will be updated on our blog on a regular basis during the summer months. We have also committed to emailing the chart to those local residents who request it.
History
Jun 24, 2010  Comment

Four Decades on the Job

After working 39 years in the same industry, most of us would be ready to happily settle into retirement. Not Maintenance Electrician Ed Chaplin! For him, the work just gets more and more interesting and he has no plans to leave Yukon Energy any time soon. Ed, who is Yukon Energy’s longest serving employee, started work with our predecessor the Northern Canada Power Commission in May 1971. He began his career in Yellowknife as an Apprentice Electrician and System/Plant Operator, moving to Whitehorse in 1975 just as he was finishing up his training. He chuckles as he recalls those early days at the Whitehorse plant. “There were two caterpillar engines in the electricians’ bay of the diesel plant. The big garage door was open and I remember in the winter, everyone wanted to park their vehicles near those engines. That’s because the heat they gave off kept people’s cars warm.” In fact he says some staff parked their vehicles right inside the hydro plant, something that would never be allowed today for safety reasons. “It’s definitely a far safer place to work now,” Ed says. “A lot more thought goes into what we do and why we do it, so that’s greatly improved.” Another huge change is the move to automation. Yukon Energy’s system has advanced to the point where staff can control the Corporation’s entire Yukon-wide system using computers. “As an electrician starting out, I never used computers for anything. Today computers are an essential part of your tool kit. If you don’t have access to a computer it’s like having a hand removed!” In the early days when Ed needed to do testing on a hydro unit, the work required the use of four huge instruments that weighed about 50 pounds each. They had to be crated up in weatherproof boxes, driven to the worksite, and linked together. The job would require a half a day for set up, two days for testing, and another half a day for disassembly. Today that same task requires one piece of computerized equipment and the work can easily be done in a day. The advances in technology are one of the things that keep Ed interested in his work. That, and the fact that Yukon Energy has so much challenging work on the horizon. “There’s the linking of the two transmission grids, the building of more sub-stations, there’s Aishihik 3 and Mayo B. I’m interested in being a part of it all,” Ed says. “One thing is for sure: I don’t think the job will ever be boring!” The photo seen above was taken of Ed several years ago. Nowadays, the rules regarding personal protection equipment (PPE) are more strict. All Yukon Energy staff are required to wear appropriate PPE, which depending on the employee's location (in the field, in a generation plant, etc.) could include high visible vests, hard hats, steel toed boots and eye and hearing protection.  
Environment
Jun 24, 2010  Comment

This Week’s Water Levels at Marsh Lake

As a service to property owners and residents of the Marsh and Tagish Lakes area, Yukon Energy provides weekly updates on actual and expected summer lake levels. Here is our latest forecast.
News
Jun 30, 2010  Comment

Our Annual Report

Yukon Energy's 2009 Annual Report is now available. Please note that it is a 2 MB file so may take a bit of time to load.
Environment
Jun 30, 2010  Comment

Bird Watching at Mayo B

Before any clearing could take place on the Mayo B site, it was important to have bird nesting surveys done to ensure the protection of any migratory birds in the area. In most cases Yukon Energy does project clearing in the winter when migratory bird nesting isn’t an issue. However for the Mayo B project the clearing couldn’t start until the spring, once we had all our permits.    A team of biologists surveyed about 30 hectares and identified 12 active nests. They flagged the nests with brightly-coloured tape and marked a ten metre buffer around each one.   Our contractor is not allowed to do any clearing inside the buffer until biologists have determined the nests are no longer in use (all nests are usually abandoned by the end of July and are only used one season).   The nesting survey work will continue for another few weeks until all areas are cleared. Photos: (right) American robin's nest; (below) biologists scan the project area for nests. Photos provided by EDI Environmental Dynamics.  

Environment
Jul 02, 2010  Comment

This Week’s Water Levels

Each week during the summer months, Yukon Energy provides residents and property owners on Marsh Lake with a chart showing lake water levels to date. The chart also shows anticipated peak lake levels. Here is the latest chart. 
Energy Supply
Jul 02, 2010  2

Why Atlin Lake?

We have talked often on this blog about the importance of finding new sources of clean energy to meet future demand. One idea we are exploring involves putting a submerged weir in the Atlin River. This would reduce the rate at which the water flows out of Atlin Lake in the fall, so that there is more water to use in the winter when we need it the most. Yukon electrical loads are highest during winter months when we have lower flows in the Yukon River. Without sufficient water, we must use diesel fuel to generate electricity. By storing water for winter usage, Yukon Energy could increase the amount of hydro electricity we produce, displacing up to 4.8 million litres of diesel per year. This translates into a savings to Yukoners of $4.8 million per year in diesel costs and it would avoid the production of up to 12,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually. It's important to point out that this proposal would see us keeping Atlin Lake levels within the range of their natural highs. In other words, lake levels would not be raised above what they are now during the summer months. The residents of Atlin have expressed concern about this idea. They have asked us why we are continuing to look into it, knowing they are opposed. We think it's a good question and we'd like you to know the answer. It's Yukon Energy's job to find enough clean, affordable and reliable energy to meet the needs of Yukoners. It is our responsibility to look at all possible sources of clean energy. We are not a company that supports emitting GHG emissions into the air any more than is absolutely necessary and we believe that as northerners, the people of Atlin and the people in the Yukon have that as a common goal. The fact that Atlin now has a hydro plant in its community, allowing the residents to greatly reduce their diesel consumption, is testimony to that. Our search for clean energy includes looking at geo-thermal, wind, waste to energy and additional hydro, as well as energy conservation. We are working on all these fronts and have identified a number of hydro projects in the Yukon which we are studying. However 40 percent of the water that runs through our Whitehorse dam comes from Atlin and we cannot ignore that fact. While Atlin Lake is in B.C., its waters serve a great many Yukoners.   If we are forced to burn more diesel it means going to our regulator, the Yukon Utilities Board (YUB), and asking for a rate increase, since diesel is more expensive than hydro. In considering our request the YUB will ask us if we have first exhausted all possible avenues looking for more hydro. We will need to be able to prove that we have. The only way we can know if the Atlin Storage Concept is do-able without undue damage to the environment is to carry out a series of studies. These studies cost money, but that is the price of doing business.   What we are asking of people in Atlin is to keep an open mind. Let us do the studies and see what they tell us. Only then will we know for sure if there’s a way of doing this project without harming the lake and the users of that lake.   We welcome our readers' comments and questions on this issue.
Community Involvement
Jul 07, 2010  Comment

‘One Fish, Two Fish’ - Part 2

If you have followed this blog for a while you will know that last summer about ninety Yukoners helped created an art piece for our Whitehorse Rapids fishladder as a way of marking the facility's 50th anniversary. The piece was entitled 'One Fish, Two Fish'. It proved to be so popular that we decided to have a second school of salmon created. With financial assistance from the Yukon River Panel we were able to distribute wooden fish to six schools around the territory. We are delighted with what the students did with the salmon! Many thanks to Donald Watt, who was the coordinator of this project, and to about 300 students at the following schools: Eliza Van Bibber School in Pelly Crossing Ghuch Tla Community School in Carcross Robert Service School in Dawson City St. Elias Community School in Haines Junction Teslin School in (of course) Teslin Ecole Emilie-Tremblay in Whitehorse The art piece has been assembled and is now available for viewing at our fishladder in the same area where Part 1 is located. If you are in Whitehorse please drop by and take a look. We'd love to hear if you have a favourite fish among them. We are rather partial to the ones that are swimming upside down and backwards! See if you can spot them in the photos below.  

Environment
Jul 09, 2010  Comment

Latest Water Levels on Marsh

Here is this week's water level chart for Marsh Lake. Please let us know if you have any questions about it.
Environment
Jul 09, 2010  Comment

Field Work on the Gladstones

There’s a creek and a chain of four small lakes in the Aishihik area known as the Gladstone system. Normally this region doesn’t see many people. However over the last few weeks a group of scientists has been stationed there gathering information that will help Yukon Energy determine the viability of a potential hydro project. The idea, which Yukon Energy refers to as the Gladstone Diversion Concept, would involve putting in a control structure that would change the direction that the Gladstone Creek and Lakes flow. Instead of all the water going into the Yukon River drainage system as it does now, some of it would flow into Sekulmun and Aishihik Lakes, providing water to produce additional power at our Aishihik hydro plant. It could give Yukon Energy up to an extra 18 gigawatt hours of hydroelectricity annually, or almost five percent of Yukon Energy's current energy production per year (we produce approximately 370 gigawatt hours annually). Yukon Energy is working with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations and the Kluane First Nation on this concept (the area is within the traditional territory of the Champagne, Aishihik and Kluane First Nations). But there is much research that needs to be done before we can determine if it’s a viable project. That’s where the scientists come in. They have been doing a number of studies looking at the health of the fish, the types of parasites found in both water systems, and the hydrology (water flows) in the area. Other work includes doing rare plant and amphibian surveys and studying the movement of large animals such as moose, caribou, sheep and bison. Below are photos of some of the summer work being done at Gladstone this year. Photo 1: Stefan Iwasawa from the Centre of Coastal Health and Photo 2: Stefan and Kathy Baynes from the Pacific Biological Station take samples to determine the health of the fish and to learn what parasites are in the water systems. The good news is that early results show the same organisms exist in both systems, so there should not be any significant health concerns with connecting the two water systems. Photo 3: A field crew takes measurements of the water flows.

Energy Supply
Jul 16, 2010  Comment

Into the Wind

As is the case for all Yukon Energy's equipment, repairing our wind turbines on Haeckel Hill takes special skills and knowledge. But along with the technical know-how comes the need to have steady nerves. Hanging in a metal basket 30 metres from the ground is not for the faint of heart. Bill Haydock, Justin Kolla and Les Rowland are three of Yukon Energy's employees who are trained and comfortable working from heights. They recently went up to the top of the smaller of our two wind turbines, the Bonus A/G, to make some repairs. “No, heights don’t bother me in the slightest,” Les said. “In fact there have been times when I’ve gone up the Vestas (our larger wind turbine) in winter, crawled on top of the nacelle (the area that contains the generator) and slid down to the back end to replace instruments. My wife just shakes her head!”   Of course any employee doing this work must be equipped with all the necessary safety gear, including a harness known as a fall arrest system. And Bill is quick to point out that no employees are forced to do aerial work. “We give people the choice. We would never send them up if they’re afraid of heights.”   In the case of the Bonus turbine, the job involved two separate tasks. The external ladder that leads to the generator had become damaged as a result of a guy-wire rubbing against it in the wind. Bill and Les used a crane and metal basket to remove the ladder and slowly and carefully lower it to the ground. They were then able to better assess its damage, and determine if it could be repaired or if it needed to be replaced. They decided a new ladder was necessary and one has been ordered and will be installed shortly.    While they were busy doing that, Justin was in the nacelle replacing a damaged control wire. He says teamwork made the job straightforward. “It really wasn’t bad at all with the three of us working together. Les and Bill steadied the man-basket so I could crawl in and out of the nacelle.” Justin has some off-site help too. A phone call to Maintenance Electrician Nick Balderas helped troubleshoot and find the problem.   Thankfully it was a beautiful day and wind speeds stayed low throughout the morning as the crew did their work. They were down off the mountain by lunch time. Scary work for some of us perhaps, but for these three it was just another day on the job.    

Environment
Jul 19, 2010  Comment

Mid-July Water Levels

Here is the latest summer lake level forecast for Marsh Lake. Please contact us if you have any questions about this chart.
Community Involvement
Jul 19, 2010  Comment

Setting Up Shop in Atlin

Yukon Energy is opening a temporary office in Atlin, B.C.  A staff member will be at the Atlin Recreation Centre every Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. between now and mid-September. The purpose is to give local residents a chance to speak with us face to face on a regular basis about the work we are doing in Atlin. Our phone number in Atlin is (250) 651-0052. We will have an answering machine and will return all calls.
Community Involvement
Jul 21, 2010  Comment

Looking For Firewood?

During the initial clearing at Yukon Energy's Mayo B site more than 110 cords of spruce, pine, and birch were salvaged. This material is now available by permit from the Yukon government’s Natural Resource Office in Mayo (996-2343) for personal use only. The wood is available on a first come, first served basis.
Environment
Jul 28, 2010  Comment

Fishing for Information

Yukon Energy is currently looking into the possibility of using additional water from Mayo Lake for power production at the Mayo generating plant. Before we know if this is feasible we must study the lake’s ecosystem to better understand what the potential effects might be. To that end Yukon Energy recently finished a fish gillnetting program, aimed at providing information about the health and age class strength of the lake’s trout and whitefish. This is similar to studies done on Aishihik Lake every five to ten years. The number of fish allowed for capture was set after consulting with the First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun (NND), Yukon Fisheries and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. In total 346 lake trout and 408 lake whitefish were processed. Biologists took the otoliths (small bones located in the head that allows scientists to determine the fish’s age). Then the NND distributed most of the fish to people in the community. Once we have the final results of the study we will share the information with NND, Yukon Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans and other interested parties.  Photo: NND summer student Charles Blysak helps with the gillnetting.

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