Why Not Just Connect to the North American Grid? | Monday, October 25, 2010

Question: Yukon Energy has spent considerable money in the last year to connect the grid within Yukon, which is a good idea to get smaller communities off of diesel. Once that is done, is there a plan in place to connect Yukon's grid to the 'outside', either to Alberta (through Fort Nelson) or BC? Wouldn't this option be cost-effective for Yukoners over the long term? Is this an alternative to developing new sources of power within Yukon?

If we had our druthers, we would connect to the North American grid tomorrow. The problem is the cost. Early estimates put connecting to the grid at a couple of billion dollars. With our small rate base that's just not affordable at this point in time. Certainly if the grid were to be extended further North it might become an option for us and we will continue to explore this as a possibility. As well, we are researching the potential of connecting to Alaska via a power line between Whitehorse and Skagway.

How Do Our Rates Compare? | Thursday, October 21, 2010

We recently came across a Hydro Quebec publication that provided a comparison of the average electricity costs for customers in major North American cities. While it did not include Yukon, we have added the territory's residential rate on this map. You can see that Yukon residential customers currently pay 11.02 cents per kilowatt hour with the Yukon government's Interim Electrical Rebate (a subsidy provided to all residential customers for the first 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity used each month). That's the same rate that residents of St. John's pay and is less than that paid by residents in Charlottetown, Moncton, Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary. It is much less than what residential customers pay in most major cities in the United States.

Without the subsidy, Yukon residential customers would pay 13.68 cents per kilowatt hour of power, which is still less than homeowners or renters in Charlottetown and in most major U.S. cities pay.

The complete Hydro Quebec report can be found here.

Electronics Never Sleep | Thursday, October 21, 2010

Did you know that even if your electronics are in stand-by or sleep mode, they are sucking up electricity? These so-called energy vampires typically use about five percent of total residential electricity use.

Plasma TVs are among the biggest offenders but there are lots of other culprits. For example, on average a DVR consumes more power when it is turned off but still plugged in than when it is actually recording (36.68 watts versus 29.29 watts).

Actions as simple as unplugging, using an on/off power bar for clusters of devices and buying Energy Star products (which have lower standby power usage) can help reduce the electrical blood-letting.

Here are some examples of electricity vampires:

Device and Energy Used (in watts)                                                                                 
Game console (ready mode) - 23.34
Desktop Computer (sleep mode) - 21.13
Digital cable set-top box (off by remote) - 17.83
Computer Notebook (sleep mode) - 15.77
Satellite set-top box (off by remote) - 15.66
Audio mini-system (off but still plugged in) - 8.32
Rear projection TV (off by remote) - 6.97
Cell phone charger (on and charged) - 2.24

 You can find a more complete and detailed list here.

Energy, Power, and People’s Patterns of Using Electricity | Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Here's today's question sent in by a Yukoner:

Does Yukon Energy have a shortage of energy or a shortage of power or both? If so, when does this happen and for how long? Please publish the power demand pattern so we can modify our behaviour accordingly. Also, please publish when you are using and when you are expecting to use diesel generators in Whitehorse so people can change their behaviour to try to minimize the burning of fossil fuels.

At this point we are not short of energy. In fact we have the ability to produce about 750 gigawatt hours of energy per year, which is more than enough to serve the needs of Yukoners. The problem is that close to half of that potential amount comes from a non-renewable source, diesel. We don't like to burn diesel unless we absolutely have to, since it's expensive and bad for the environment. Just as an aside, if we were to run all our diesel generators all of the time, it would cost us $90-million a year for fuel! What I would say is that we are approaching a time when we are expecting to be short of renewable energy produced from our hydro and wind generators. That's why we are devoting so much time to finding new sources of clean, renewable energy.

Similarly, we have enough power (the amount of energy, measured in megawatts, that we can produce at any given point). However there will be times in the winter when we will have to supplement our hydro power with some diesel-generated electricity. Over the last couple of years, this was only at peak times on cold days (over the breakfast hour and the dinner hour). As demand for electricity increases, we expect that we'll need to burn diesel for longer periods. So while it's important not to waste energy at any time, it is even more critical in the winter and especially around breakfast and dinner time during the winter months.

Last year we had a chart on our web site that indicated when we expected to have to burn diesel. We thought if people saw that we were entering the 'diesel zone' then they might voluntarily change their energy use habits (perhaps waiting until later in the evening to run their washer, dryer, or dishwasher for instance). The feed-back we received from people is that the chart was difficult to read and they wanted it in real time. We are re-designing it and I hope to have the new version on our website by late November or early December.

As well, we are in the midst of developing a Demand Side Management (DSM) program, which will focus both on ways Yukon Energy can be more efficient with our power and ways that the public can reduce energy consumption. For example, we have just installed six LED streetlights in Dawson City as a pilot project to see if they work in northern conditions. In locations further south the lights use at least 50 percent less power than regular lights and they last much longer. If the lights prove to be a good fit for Dawson we will look at installing LED streetlights in all the communities we serve directly, which includes Dawson, Mayo and Faro.

We also have a virtual energy savings home on our website, which provides tips on reducing energy consumption and reducing your electricity bill.

Watch for other DSM initiatives in the months ahead.
 

More Questions About Outages | Monday, October 18, 2010

A Whitehorse resident recently sent us this question:

Why, out of every territory or province in Canada, do we get the most power outages? Someone told me it was because we have dirty energy, whatever that means.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I have to preface my comments by saying there are two utilities in the territory and I can only address the outage numbers of Yukon Energy and not the utility that distributes most of the power. I don't have access to Yukon Electrical Company Limited's figures and even if I did it would not be appropriate for me to speak for that company.

Here's what I can tell you about Yukon Energy's outage statistics:

In 2009, which is the latest year for which I have complete figures, the average number of power interruptions per customer was 5.52. We reached that number by taking all our outages - both planned and unplanned - that occured throughout the territory, and averaging them out. Essentially what this tells us is that during 2009, the average Yukoner lost power five to six times because of a Yukon Energy outage. That compares with the national average of 2.31 outages per customer in 2009.

In terms of the length of outages, the amount of time a customer was without power during a Yukon Energy outage was on average .67 of an hour. That compares with the national average of 2.30 hours.

In summary, we have more outages than the national average, but they are shorter in duration.

So the question is, why are there more outages in Yukon? In southern Canada, the utilities have interconnected transmission systems. That means when there is a loss of generation in one region, utilities can call on their counterparts in another area to provide additional generation. There are also a greater number of routing alternatives to contain outages. Here in Yukon, we are not connected to the North American grid, so we don't have the kind of 'buddy' system that utilities in the south have. We also recognize that some of our infrastructure is getting old. That's why we have devoted two-thirds of our core capital budget in 2009 and 2010 to upgrade our system and improve reliability. Our outage numbers have improved a lot from a couple of years ago but we know we have more work to do in terms of reliability.

On the flip side, our outages are significantly shorter than the national average, in part because we have a back-up diesel system that most southern utilities don't have. This system allows us to bring back the power fairly quickly (usually within an hour). I'm sure you have heard stories about people in various other parts of Canada who have gone for several days without power.  

The second part to this Yukoner's question was about 'dirty power'. The term refers to times when the voltage is sustantially higher or lower than normal. This can cause power spikes or brown-outs and can be hard on your electronics and appliances. Yukon Energy has significant resources dedicated to ensure that we maintain consistent voltage. However it is always a good idea to buy surge protectors for any sensitive electrical equipment including appliances, computers, and other electronics.

A Question About Funding Sources | Monday, October 18, 2010

Here's a question I received over the week-end from a resident in Teslin:

Can you tell me if there are grants/funding available to install a wind generator in Teslin? What about retrofitting a house for more energy efficiency?

In terms of financial help to install a wind generator, my answer would depend on the size, scope and location of the project. I'm not aware of any wind generation grants for individual homeowners who are already on the Yukon grid. However if a person lives off-grid and there is no reasonable chance of him or her getting connected to the territory's transmission system, there is a progam that might help. Using equipment borrowed from Yukon Energy, the Energy Solutions Centre will set up some monitoring equipment on site to see if wind is a viable option for the property owner.

If there is interest in a more widespread community-based wind project, the federal government's Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency may be an option. The agency offers some funding to help develop community renewable energy strategies, among other things. There is more information on the agency's website at www.north.gc.ca.

In terms of funding for retrofitting homes, the Yukon Housing Corporation offers programs in this regard.

Why a Disconnect Notice? | Friday, October 15, 2010

I'm delighted with the number of people who are taking the time to send me questions. The latest query has to do with getting disconnection notices.

Why do I get a disconnection notice if I miss one bill? It seems a bit severe, given my habit of paying my bills, and quite unnecessary.

The person who sent this question did not mention if they are one of our customers or a Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. customer. While both utilities have similar practices in this regard, I can only speak about Yukon Energy's policies.

Each customer's meter is read on approximately the same day every month. Once a meter has been read it takes about six days for a bill to be produced, and approximately another six days for the bill to reach the customer. That means, for example, if the meter is read on June 5th, the customer will get the bill on or around June 17th. This bill is for power used the previous month (in this example, May).

If the amount due isn't paid by the next time the meter is read (July 5th), it will be noted on the customer's bill received on or around July 17th that they are in arrears for the May billing. If, when the meter reader visits the property on August 5th the customer still hasn't paid his or her arrears, they will be sent either a reminder notice (if they are a regular paying customer who has not before now missed a payment) or a disconnect notice (if they are a customer who has missed several payments and has an amount of more than $20.00 outstanding). 

Once the disconnect notice is sent, the customer has ten days from the date on the notice to pay the bill, or the electricity will be disconnected until payment is made.

What’s With the Bumps? | Thursday, October 14, 2010

This is a question I received from a Marsh Lake resident:

When is Yukon Energy going to stop with the constant bumps in service?

To answer this query, I need to explain the division of duties of the two utilities that operate in Yukon. Yukon Energy (that's us) generates most of the power and sells most of it to Yukon Electrical Company Limited. Yukon Electrical Company Limited then distributes it to most residential, small business and government customers in the territory. That includes people in Marsh Lake.

Looking back over our records for 2010, we have been responsible for two outages that would have affected Marsh Lake residents...one on June 7th and one on August 18th. Any other outages experienced in that area would have been related to the distribution side of things. This in no way gives Yukon Energy license to shirk our own responsibility for providing the most reliable service possible. While our outage statistics have improved over the last couple of years, we know we must keep investing significant time and money into our aging system so that the number of power disruptions continues to decrease.

How’s Our Lighting? | Friday, October 8, 2010

Streetlights can suck up a lot of power. As part of a pilot project looking into ways of reducing energy consumption, Yukon Energy has installed six Light Emitting Diode (LED) streetlights in Dawson City.

LED streetlights need at least 50 percent less energy than regular streetlights and have a longer life span. They are starting to be used in many locations around the world including Alaska and British Columbia. The experimental streetlights in Dawson City have back light shields that significantly reduce light pollution and are approved by the International Dark Sky Association.

Research shows that LED lights work well in other places. We need to find out if they are a good lighting option for a community such as Dawson City, which typically has colder and darker winters than locations further south.

Our staff installed the LED lights this week on Second Avenue in Dawson between Albert and York streets (just behind the City of Dawson offices). The lights will be monitored throughout the fall and winter for cold weather performance and energy use. If the lights prove to be a good choice for Dawson City, we will look at installing LED streetlights in all our major service areas including Dawson, Mayo and Faro.

If you live in Dawson, we'll send you a short questionnaire in the new year after you have had a chance to see the lights in action for a while. Please take a few minutes to fill out the questionnaire and return it to us. If you don't want to do that, you can always call us (1-866-926-3749 or 393-5333), email us at communications@yukonenergy.ca or put a comment on this blog entry.

In addition to this pilot project, Yukon Energy is working with Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. and the Yukon government to develop a Demand Side Management (DSM) program. The program will look at a variety of ways to improve generation and transmission efficiencies as well as to reduce energy consumption both by the utilities and by government, industrial, commercial and residential electrical customers. Below are photos of typical streetlighting (first photo) versus LED streetlighting (second photo).