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

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.
News, Media Releases, Energy Supply, Environment, Reliability
Sep 05, 2019  Comment

Federal funding will help build a robust and reliable energy system in Yukon

Today, the Government of Canada announced more than $39.2 million in funding for two Yukon Energy projects that will increase the reliability of Yukon’s electrical grid and help build the robust energy system needed to support future growth. The investment comes from the government’s Green Infrastructure Stream (GIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. Project 1: Grid-scale battery storage  The federal government is investing $16.5 million in Yukon Energy’s construction of a new battery storage system in Yukon. Once completed, the 8 MW battery will be the largest grid-connected battery in the North, and one of the largest in Canada. The new battery is a critical investment in Yukon Energy’s ability to meet growing demands for power and securing Yukon’s energy future. As an isolated grid, one of the largest challenges Yukon Energy faces is meeting peak demands for power during winter months. When complete, the new system will store excess electricity generated during off-peak periods and provide Yukoners with access to more power during peak periods. This new energy storage system will create a more reliable power supply and help reduce the territory’s reliance on diesel fuel. Over the 20-year life of project, the new battery is expected to reduce carbon emissions in Yukon by more than 20,000 tonnes. A location for the new battery energy storage system has not been identified. Yukon Energy will begin permitting of the project in 2020 with construction targeted to be complete by mid-2023. Project 2: Replacing and upgrading the Mayo to McQuesten Transmission Line Yukon Energy has received $22.7 million in federal funding to proceed with Stage 1 of the Stewart to Keno City Transmission Project – replacing and upgrading the 65 year-old transmission line between Mayo and McQuesten. The project also includes the addition of system protection equipment at the Stewart Crossing South substation. The Yukon government, through the Yukon Development Corporation, has already provided $3.5 million towards planning for the project. Replacing the Mayo to McQuesten transmission line is critical to Yukon Energy’s ability to deliver safe and reliable electricity to customers in the Mayo and Keno regions and to support economic growth in Yukon. The transmission line has reached end-of-life and become increasingly unreliable for customers in the area. The First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun has expressed their support of this project. The project has also been approved by the Yukon Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment Board. Yukon Energy will begin replacing and upgrading the 31 km transmission line between Mayo and McQuesten in 2020. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2020. When finished, the new 138 kV transmission line will provide more reliable electricity to customers in the Mayo and Keno regions and be equipped to support industrial growth and development in the area, including the Victoria Gold Mine, with renewable power from the Yukon grid. Planning work for the remainder of the Stewart to Keno City Transmission Project has been completed. Yukon Energy continues to explore funding opportunities that are needed to proceed with other stages of the project.
Power Outage Updates, Reliability, Safety
Aug 06, 2019  Comment

Fallen tree causing power outage in downtown Dawson City

Yukon Energy crews are currently responding to a power outage affecting parts of downtown Dawson City (4th, 5th and 6th Avenues between King Street and Harper Street). The outage began at approximately 2:35 p.m. this afternoon (August 6) and was caused by a large tree falling onto a power line in town (see picture to the right). Crews are currently working to remove the tree and repair damaged equipment. Crews hope to have power restored by 6 p.m. tonight. For updates, please follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Facebook.com/yukonenergy Twitter.com/yukonenergy Update at 6 p.m., August 6:  Crews are still working on fixing the power line. We're aiming to have the power back on by 7 p.m. Update at 6:30 p.m., August 6: Power has been restored. Thank you everyone for your understanding, patience and cooperation this afternoon.
News, Energy Supply, Power Outage Updates
Apr 24, 2019  Comment

Easter Monday’s Power Outage

After reviewing the outage that affected much of the area in and around Whitehorse this past Monday morning (April 22, 2019), we’ve determined that the outage was caused by crews working on system upgrades in our Riverside substation who inadvertently caused two breakers in the substation to open. This resulted in three of our Whitehorse hydro units and our LNG facility to trip, causing the loss of power supply and subsequent outage. In order to restore power to customers during the outage, we closed the breakers in the Riverside substation and restarted our Whitehorse hydro units, supplementing it with Whitehorse diesel generation during the restoration. Our LNG units were placed back online later that same day. We apologize for any inconveniences Monday’s outage caused Yukoners, and hope that everyone and their families had a nice Easter weekend.
News, Energy Supply, Reliability
Apr 16, 2019  Comment

Low Snow Packs Plus Low Water Means More Electricity Generated Using Thermal Fuel Sources this Year

Hydro plays a key role in Yukon’s electricity mix. In 2018, we used water to generate almost 94 percent of the electricity needed by Yukoners connected to the Yukon grid. Thermal fuel sources like liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diesel were used to generate the other six percent of Yukoners’ needs. Running a hydro operation means being at the mercy of available water. We have three hydroelectric generation facilities in Whitehorse, Aishihik and Mayo. Over the past two winters, warm temperatures and dry conditions in much of Yukon has resulted in lower-than-normal snowpack and water inflows at all three of our hydroelectric generation facilities. With less water available to generate electricity, we’ll need to use more LNG this spring and fall to meet electricity demand. We anticipate needing to generate an additional 50 to 100 GWh of electricity using LNG in 2019, depending on the amount of rain we get this year. The more rain we get, the less LNG we’ll need to use. 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. Please see the document below for more information about snowpack and forecast inflow levels this year. For more energy conservation tips, visit inchargeyukon.ca.
News, Media Releases
Apr 12, 2019  Comment

Canada Invests in Smart Grid Technology to Reduce Energy Costs in Yukon

Energy efficiency helps families save money, makes businesses more competitive and creates a cleaner environment for future generations. The Government of Canada is taking action by investing in technology that will make our electrical systems more efficient and prepare us for a clean energy future. Member of Parliament for Yukon, the Honourable Larry Bagnell, on behalf of Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, today announced a $650,000 investment for Yukon Energy Corporation to cut energy costs, reduce the use of fuel to generate electricity during high-demand peaks and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The Residential Demand Response Program will make the territory’s electrical grid more efficient by equipping up to 400 homes with smart devices. These devices will allow Yukon Energy to shift participating customers’ energy demand to off-peak hours and meet Yukon’s growing energy capacity needs in a cost-effective and sustainable way while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This program is a joint collaboration between Yukon Energy Corporation, Yukon Development Corporation and ATCO Electric Yukon. Funding for this project is provided by Natural Resources Canada’s Smart Grid Program, which allows utilities to reduce pollution and optimize electricity use while encouraging innovation. The program is part of the Government of Canada’s more than $180-billion Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. Through Canada’s national energy dialogue, Generation Energy, Canadians made it clear that reliable, affordable, clean energy solutions are not a luxury but a necessity for Canada’s low-carbon future. We will continue to support clean energy initiatives that create jobs, support investment and industry competitiveness, advance our clean future and help realize our global climate change goals. Quotes “Affordable and clean energy technology is a must for Yukon’s future. Today’s investment in innovative technology will help families save money and will help move Yukoners down a positive environmental path, for many generations to come.”  The Honourable Larry Bagnell  Member of Parliament for Yukon “Reducing demand and increasing efficiency is key as we work to reduce Yukon’s carbon footprint. All Yukoners have a stake in the territory’s energy future, and this innovative program will empower individuals to be mindful about consumption while helping us move toward a more economically and environmentally sustainable future.” The Honourable Ranj Pillai Minister responsible for the Yukon Development Corporation Minister responsible for the Yukon Energy Corporation “The Residential Demand Response Program gives Yukoners the opportunity to directly influence and participate in Yukon’s energy future. As the demand for electricity continues to grow in the territory, so too does the need for a reliable mix of new generation sources and energy conservation programs. The Residential Demand Response Program is a critical piece of that mix.” Andrew Hall President and C.E.O. Yukon Energy Corporation “ATCO Electric Yukon is a proud provider of reliable energy to the communities we both live in, and serve, in the North. Together with Yukon Development Corporation, Yukon Energy Corporation and Natural Resources Canada, we are committed to providing innovative solutions for northerners to effectively manage their electricity while lowering costs and protecting the environment.”  Jay Massie Manager ATCO Electric Yukon Contacts Natural Resources Canada Media Relations (343) 292-6100 NRCan.media_relations-media_relations.RNCan@canada.ca Vanessa Adams Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Natural Resources (343) 543-7645 Vanessa.Adams@canada.ca Yukon Energy Manager, Communications (867) 393-5333 Stephanie.Cunha@yec.yk.ca For a French copy of this announcement, please see the attached.

News
Apr 03, 2019  Comment

Help Guide Yukon’s Energy Future

Yukon Energy is looking to fill three director positions on our Board. Two of the three positions require First Nations representation. 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 May 3, 2019 to Boards.Committees@gov.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.
Jan 17, 2019  1

Should Utilities Offer Energy Conservation Programs?

You may have read an editorial in yesterday’s Yukon News that talked about a recent ruling by our regulator, the Yukon Utilities Board (YUB), in connection with our 2017/18 General Rate Application. The Board has told us that it believes governments, and not utilities, should carry out energy conservation and efficiency programs, otherwise known as Demand Side Management (DSM). We continue to believe that DSM is a cost-effective means to address Yukon’s future energy and capacity needs. In addition, in the survey that we completed as part of the 2016 Resource Plan we heard clearly from Yukoners that they support us pursuing energy conservation/efficiency programs. The 2017/18 proceeding is not yet complete. We are preparing a response to the YUB which we will submit by the end of next month. We are exploring options to continue with a more focused DSM program that may address the utility board’s concerns. However, at this time we do not know how the YUB will respond and what the final decision will be.

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