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:

1. Constructing a new pumped storage facility at Moon Lake.
2. Sourcing renewable electricity from the planned expansion of the Atlin hydro plant owned by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation.
3. 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.

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Contact:

Stephanie Cunha
Manager, Communications
Yukon Energy
867-393-5333
stephanie.cunha@yec.yk.ca