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News, Power Outage Updates
Nov 03, 2017  Comment

Today’s Outage in Whitehorse

We are aware of a power outage this afternoon that affected parts of Whitehorse. We have been working with ATCO Electric Yukon to restore power. Most if not all customers should be back on by now. The cause is still under investigation.
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Nov 10, 2017  Comment

What it Means to “Set the Ice”

Throughout this long weekend, we will be spilling some water at our Whitehorse hydro dam. We'll be doing what is called "setting the ice". By spilling water through the gates at our dam instead of letting it flow into our power canal, it allows a good cover of ice to form in the canal. Once the ice has set, chances are greatly reduced of "frazil" or slushy ice forming that can cling to our equipment and cause our hydro generators to shut down. You might remember that happened last year at our Aishihik facility and has happened in the past at our Whitehorse plant. While we are waiting for the ice to form, we will shut down three of our four Whitehorse hydro units during the overnight period, and will only run two of the four turbines in the daytime. We will need to supplement with thermal (mostly LNG with a small amount of diesel) during this time. We hope that the ice will set by the end of the weekend, at which time we can resume normal operations.  Photo: If we do have problems with frazil ice on our equipment, divers need to be called in to use steamers to melt the sticky ice. By working to set this ice this weekend, we hope to avoid frazil problems.
Nov 14, 2017  2

Yukon Energy and Victoria Gold Sign Power Purchase Agreement

Yukon Energy and Victoria Gold have signed an agreement for the supply of grid power to Victoria Gold’s Eagle Gold Mine near Mayo. The agreement was signed on November 10th and submitted to the Yukon Utilities Board (YUB) for review the same day (last Friday). The signing of this Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is a key step towards the connection of the mine to our grid. However Victoria Gold must complete a final round of financing to move on to the next phase of construction next spring. If the Utilities Board approves the PPA, power sales to Eagle Mine would contribute $100 million or more in additional revenues to Yukon Energy over the expected ten-year mine life. This new revenue will benefit all electrical consumers in the territory, and will result in a one- to two-percent reduction in rates for other electricity customers. The agreement commits Victoria Gold to covering the full costs of connecting to Yukon Energy’s main line. As well, the mine will pay most of the costs of a new substation, it will cover YEC’s expenses to negotiate the PPA, and it will pay the costs to make system improvements that will benefit all on-grid Yukon communities. The value of Victoria Gold’s investment in the substation, system improvements, and Yukon Energy’s costs totals more than $11 million. The mine will connect initially to the existing Stewart to Keno City transmission line, which can meet the majority of Victoria Gold’s power needs for the first one-to-two years of its operation. However, the existing line is at end of life and must be replaced as soon as possible. Yukon Energy is continuing to work with the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon government to secure funding for a new transmission line. The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun (NND) has indicated its support for both the Eagle Gold Mine and an upgrade to the Stewart to Keno City transmission line. Yukon Energy is working with NND to reach a project agreement for the prospective line. The Eagle Gold Mine expects to go into production in by mid-2019. Its load requirements would be highest during the summer months, when we have surplus renewable energy. The mine’s operations would slow down in December, January, and February when its requirements for electricity would drop to about half of its summer needs. If Victoria Gold is connected to the grid, Yukon Energy will meet their load with a mix of hydro and thermal resources (most of the thermal will be LNG). The amount of thermal will reduce once more new renewable generation can be added to the system. This emphasizes the need to proceed with renewable projects identified in our 2016 Resource Plan. However a grid connection saves up to 53,000 tonnes per year of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to the mine self-generating using diesel.   A copy of the full application submitted to the YUB can be found at the bottom of this page.  
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Nov 20, 2017  1

Insurance Against an Unlikely Outage

If you drive past our Whitehorse facility this week, you may notice some activity going on near our diesel plant and substation. A trailer will arrive on site with four transformers that will be offloaded and connected to the substation. At the same time, four diesel generators of two megawatts each will arrive in Whitehorse and will be stored at a local business off site. This equipment is being brought to Whitehorse as insurance against the very unlikely event that we have an extended winter power outage and lose access to our largest source of generation, our Aishihik hydro plant. We don’t have any reason to believe there will be such an event, but we must be ready for one just in case. Our 2016 Resource Plan identified that should we lose access to Aishihik during the winter months, we may not be able to produce enough electricity to meet demand at peak times. Having access to these four portable diesel generators should we need them ensures that we can continue to provide reliable service this winter even in an emergency. This is a short-term measure. We are working with our parent, the Yukon Development Corporation, and the Yukon government to find more permanent solutions to address the capacity gap. However, as you know, energy projects take time, and we wanted to have a temporary solution in place until new capacity can be added to our system.
Nov 01, 2018  Comment

Ensuring Reliability of Power

Over the next few weeks, people in Whitehorse will notice six portable diesel units being set up at our generating station in the city. These temporary units will act as our insurance policy so that we can continue to provide reliable service throughout the cold months.  The information sheet below provides details about our need for LNG and diesel fuel as part of our energy mix.
Oct 29, 2018  Comment

Reporting Back on this Summer’s Energy Symposium

You may remember that this past June, the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) held a major energy symposium in Carcross, Yukon. It was the first time in the 127-year history of the CEA that such a meeting was held in the North. We invite you to read the full report that resulted from this historic gathering. The document can be found below.
News, Energy Supply, Power Outage Updates, Reliability
Oct 01, 2018  Comment

Outage in Whitehorse

Power is out in Riverdale and parts of downtown Whitehorse. We are working with ATCO Electric Yukon to restore as soon as possible. The cause is under investigation.
News, Energy Conservation, Energy Supply, Environment, Reliability
Sep 10, 2018  1

The Next Phase of Our LED Streetlight Project

We are replacing all our existing streetlights with energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. Two years ago we changed the streetlights in Mayo and most of Dawson City. Over the next several weeks we will install LED streetlights in the rest of our service areas, including Faro, Champagne, Braeburn, Mendenhall and rural Dawson. In selecting the lights, we have worked to ensure public safgety while mitigating light pollution. We have received very positive feedback so far about the quality of the light from the new LEDs. Why make the switch? LEDs provide lower power bills for the rural communities we serve LEDs are a better choice for the environment LEDs work well in the cold LEDs use about half the electricity that traditional streetlights do, and they last longer (25 years as opposed to four years) What will be the savings? The people paying the streetlight bill (municipalities, First Nation governments, Yukon government) will see their power bills go down by about $35 a year per light. For example, Faro has approximately 170 lights so that would be a savings for the town of almost $6,000 per year. Yukon Energy will also benefit by seeing energy savings during cold, dark winter nights when our system peaks are highest and we are running thermal generation. Residential customers can see savings by switching to LED lights in their homes. Our electricity conservation and efficiency program inCharge offers $7 rebates on each package of ENERGY STAR® LED lights. 
News, Community Involvement, Safety
Aug 17, 2018  Comment

Early Warning Measures

If you're in Mayo this coming Thursday, August 23rd, you may hear a sound similar to an air raid siren. Don't be alarmed. We have installed an early warning system outside of our Mayo office and will be testing it for a couple of hours starting at 11 a.m. on Thursday morning. This equipment will serve two purposes – to provide an early warning in the event of a dam breach, and to notify you of a fire in the community. A continuous tone will warn of a flood as a result of a dam breach; an intermittent tone will indicate a fire. Both the Village of Mayo and the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun requested an early warning system such as this. We’d like to thank them for working with us on this initiative.
News
Aug 09, 2018  Comment

the power of yukon

By now a number of you may have noticed that we have a new logo and tagline. Yukon Energy has had very much the same look, including the logo, since the Corporation was established in 1987. We are not the same company we were in the late 1980s, and we felt it was important to reflect who we are today. The logo and tagline flow out of earlier work we did to update our Mission, Values, and Vision. Our new logo helps communicate what matters most to us: sustainable energy for a prosperous Yukon. The dynamic shape represents how we generate most of the renewable electricity in the territory; It resembles the cursive letter "e" for energy; The multiple lines symbolize flowing water; water as a symbol of natural power; rivers that connect our communities; The interlocking lines symbolize working together, connecting people, transforming clean resource into electricity; The flow begins in blue, is transformed into green, and returns to blue, symbolizing a return to a natural state, commitment to sustainable energy, continuity. The literal meaning of our signature "the power of yukon" is that Yukon Energy is the major source of electricity generation for the territory, and that we derive our product by tapping into Yukon resources, both natural and human. However the tagline also suggests that Yukon Energy embodies what is possible in this territory, working with Yukoners. Throughout this project we have worked very hard to keep costs to a minimum. The Yukon government's French Language Services Directorate helped with the cost of our bilingual and French material, and some of the collaterals (signage, stationary, etc.) needed to be replaced anyway, regardless of whether we had re-branded. As a result, the incremental costs in 2018 for the rebranding project were kept to approximately $30,000.  Ultimately, the work we have done is a re-commitment to all Yukoners ... to enable the territory's prosperity with sustainable, cost-effective and reliable electricity.
News, Events, Community Involvement, Environment
Jul 31, 2018  Comment

Appreciation Night at the Ladder

Please join us on Friday, August 10th from 5–9 p.m. for Appreciation Night at the Whitehorse Rapids Fish Ladder. There'll be kids activities, cake, refreshments and door prizes. See the chinook salmon travel through the ladder and learn about their incredible journey from the Bering Sea. The Ladder is located at the end of Nsutlin Drive in the Riverdale subdivision.
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Apr 27, 2018  1

Our 2018 Brushing Season

Yukon Energy maintains hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines located throughout the territory. Keeping our right-of-ways clear is crucial to ensure public safety and reliability of our system. This year, we plan to clear the following areas: Sections between Whitehorse and Aishihik Sections between Carmacks and Stewart Crossing Little Fox, South Fox, Little Salmon, and McGundy Work is scheduled to start next week. Please see the document below for further information about our brushing practices.
Events
Apr 23, 2018  1

Opportunities Information Session for Yukon Contractors

Yukon contractors and consultants ... are you looking to do business with Yukon Energy Corporation? You are invited to an information session where Yukon Energy will outline the major contracts we expect to tender this year. Thursday, May 10, 2018 ~ 2 p.m. High Country Inn, Whitehorse Questions? 867-335-5335 procurement@yec.yk.ca
General, News
Apr 13, 2018  Comment

Enjoying the Sun

Two foxes sun themselves this week outside of one of our Whitehorse hydro plants. 

Dec 19, 2017  Comment

Holiday Hours

Please note that we will be closed at noon this Friday for the holidays. We will be back to regular hours December 27–29, and again starting January 2. Merry Christmas everyone. 

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