Our New Department | Thursday, August 25, 2011

Yukon Energy has a new department. The Energy Conservation Department has been formed to integrate energy conservation and efficiencies into Yukon Energy’s operations.

Energy conservation is an important element in helping us meet Yukon’s growing energy needs. At the energy charrette we hosted this past spring, and later in public and stakeholder surveys, we heard a very clear message from Yukoners that energy conservation had to be a major component of our energy planning. Creating a new department shows Yukon Energy's commitment to making energy conservation an essential part of what we do.

The two-person department made up of Manager Jessica Thiessen and Administrator Stephanie Whitehead will work on moving forward with Yukon-wide conservation programs that involve the public, private, and industrial sectors. They'll also focus on the Corporation’s own energy use, since it's important that Yukon Energy 'walk the talk'.

Today’s Curious Visitor | Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Look who wandered into our Whitehorse diesel plant this morning!

Couldn't get him to wear a hardhat though.

Young Talent and a New Substation for Mayo | Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Yukon Energy is fortunate to have a highly skilled and dedicated staff. However we also have some pretty cracker jack contractors working for us. Today we'd like to tip our hat to F & M Installations, the company that is doing a large portion of the work on the new substation that is being constructed in Mayo.

Substations transform voltage from high to low, or from low to high in an effort to properly route generated power to where it is needed. Think of them as traffic circles for electricity. In this case, all the power coming from our existing and new Mayo hydro facilities will be routed so that it can be transmitted to any and all communities connected to the Yukon grid.

Our existing substation in Mayo is at the end of its life and needs upgrading. That's particularly important with our new Mayo B hydro facility coming into service at the end of this year.

F & M Installations is in the first stage of construction, carrying out the civil and foundation work for this project. That involves building and pouring forms that will hold some 500 cubic meters of concrete, establishing the new grounding structure (a mat of 88 underground rods that serves as a protective measure) and installing fencing. Essentially they are constructing the foundations to which the steel lattice work, control building and major pieces of electrical apparatus can be placed in the spring of 2012.

The job is going very smoothly and is on time and on budget. What's interesting to note is that the man who's supervising the crew is only 24 years old! Trevor Styan started working at the age of 12 as a ‘shop rat’ at his uncle’s business, Graf Excavating. Now with F & M Installations (a business that works closely with Graf), Trevor has a working relationship with some of his key staff that dates back a dozen years.

"I have been, and still am, very fortunate to work with such talented tradespeople so young in my career," said Trevor. "Working together, we become a team that is efficient and effective."

In spite of his young age, it's clear by watching the F & M employees that they look up to and respect Trevor. He has the confidence and demeanor of someone twice has age.

"I can see that there might have been some trepidation at the beginning of this project with me being so young," said Trevor. "Thankfully the job has gone well and so now I think people can see that I do have the skill and knowledge necessary to ensure the successful completion of projects like this. It's gratifying to have our team put their trust in me."

Trevor is modest when talking about himself, preferring to put the spotlight on his staff instead. "Ultimately it is a team of innovative people that lead our projects forward on time and on budget. The owners, project managers, office staff , truck drivers, warehouse mangers, site supervisors, trades, labourers all know what their job entails and every member of our team excels at their tasks."

The civil work started July 22 and is expected to be finished in mid-September. FMI’s electrical and structural crew will take over in the spring, and the substation should be in operation by next fall, serving the new Mayo B hydro facility and existing infrastructure for many years to come.
 

Tonight’s the Night! | Wednesday, August 17, 2011

If you're in the Whitehorse area, we hope you can make it to the Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder today from 5 to 9 p.m. for Customer Appreciation Day. It's a very healthy salmon run this year so you'll be guaranteed to see lots of fish, plus there'll be food and refreshments and some great door prizes.

The Story of the Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder | Friday, August 12, 2011

The Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder, the longer wooden fishladder in the world, was built in 1959. In 2009, to mark the 50th anniversary of the ladder, Yukon Energy had a podcast produced to tell the story of the ladder and its significance for the annual Chinook salmon migration. We thought it would be worth posting it again here for those of you who didn't hear it the first time.

We encourage visitors and Yukoners alike to drop by the visitors' centre this month to see the salmon as they travel through the ladder. We are planning a special Appreciation Night next Wednesday, August 17th from 5 to 9 p.m. There'll be children's activities, food and refreshments, great door prizes, and you'll have a chance to see the salmon and learn about their incredible journey from the Bering Sea. Everyone is welcome.

Down it Goes | Thursday, August 11, 2011

The mission: to lower a 34 tonne hydro generator 110 meters (about 360 feet) underground. Certainly no easy task, but it was accomplished with precision and grace recently at our Aishihik facility. The seven megawatt unit, commonly referred to as Aishihik 3, is being added to the two existing hydro generators at the plant to help us manage our available water in the most efficient way possible.

The generator has had quite a journey. It was manufactured in India, travelled to Vancouver by boat, and was trucked up the Alaska Highway to Aishihik on a large flatbed. A heavy duty crane lowered it to its final resting place in our hydro plant through an underground tunnel. The lowering took close to two hours; with a clearance of only about 15 centimetres (six inches) on each side of the generator, the unit had to be carefully positioned and monitored so that it would not hit the rough rock blasted walls of the service shaft. In preparation for the lowering, crews spent about a month doing planning and preparation, including carrying out detailed inspections and engineering work to ensure the installation would go smoothly.

The next step is to finalize placement, and bolt and cement the unit and associated equipment in place. The penstock pipe (the pipe that carries water to the turbine) must also be tied in.

Aishihik 3 is scheduled to be operating by late this year.

Photos: 1) getting ready to lower the generator down into the tunnel; 2) in its final resting place.

A Regal Arrival | Monday, August 8, 2011

The first king (chinook) salmon of the season have reached our fish ladder at the Whitehorse Rapids dam. The salmon began gathering at the bottom of the ladder late last week and the first one ventured up to the viewing tanks on Friday, August 5. Since then we've had a total of 20 salmon go through the ladder - 12 males and 8 females.

If you're in the Whitehorse area, we invite you to drop by the fish ladder to see the salmon and learn about their amazing journey from the Bering Sea. You can also view them on our fish cam.