Renewables instead of Natural Gas

Today's question: Why are you pursuing using natural gas for power generation? Why not wind, solar, or other renewables? You are going down the wrong road.

Thanks for your question. It's one that a number of people have asked us.

Renewables are the heart and soul of Yukon Energy. Of the power we produce, 99 percent is hydro, with only one percent non-renewable (diesel). Contrast that with elsewhere in the North, where diesel is used much more extensively; in Nunavut diesel is the sole source for power generation.

Over the last few years, we have added 17 megawatts of new renewable capacity to our system by building Mayo B and installing a third turbine at Aishihik. That's about a 15 percent increase in renewables in just three years! And we continue to spend a large amount of time and resources working to bring other renewable projects to fruition. Some of these include:

• a 20 megawatt wind farm at Tehcho (formerly Ferry Hill near Stewart Crossing)
• hydro enhancements in the Southern Lakes and on Mayo Lake
• new small hydro projects such as Moon Lake and Tutchi along the Skagway Road
• larger hydro (20–50 megawatts) projects at Hoole and Finlayson on the Upper Pelly River.

We are also investigating solar and geothermal, and have for some time been working with the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations looking into a small biomass plant in the Haines Junction area.

That being said, we must have a backup system that is available whenever we need it. Wind can't do that for us, because it's not windy all the time. Neither can solar; it's not sunny all the time, and in winter we don't get a great deal of daylight. In our particular situation, thermal is something we can count on. We don't need to use it a lot, but when it's -40 and the power goes out, we know that Yukoners want and expect us to have a backup system that works. Right now we use diesel. The independent cradle-to-grave research that's been done for us shows that natural gas is cleaner, plus it's more affordable for our customers. That's why we feel it's the right decision to convert two of our oldest engines from diesel to gas.

Are non-renewables our first choice? No. If we were connected to the North American power grid and could buy power from elsewhere when needed, we may not be having a conversation about natural gas. In an ideal world, we would use nothing but hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal to power your homes and businesses. But that is not the reality.

While renewables will always be a mainstay of Yukon Energy, a small part of our operation must include thermal generation for the reasons I've outlined.