Talking Business | Friday, November 25, 2011

We have talked before on this blog about the fact that Yukon Energy is looking to form business partnerships with Yukon First Nations on future energy projects.

Over the past two days we hosted, in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations and Yukon Indian Development Corp., an energy forum. Representatives from First Nation governments and Development Corporations, along with other interested parties, came together to explore business possibilities.

There was great discussion and a general agreement that this forum was a good first step. There was a request for continued dialogue and sharing of information on the topic of energy in the territory, and an overall sense that First Nation governments and Development Corporations are interested in seeing if there might be energy-related projects that would be a good investment for them. 

Below are a couple of photos from the two days of discussion. 1) Council of Yukon First Nations Grand Chief Ruth Massie; 2) Yukon Energy's Hector Campbell leading a group discussion. Photo credit: www.archbould.com.

Campfire Chat: Energy Saving Tips | Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Kitchen-Kuiack family from Marsh Lake, Yukon is into their final few weeks of the nation-wide Energy Diet Challenge. They admit they've learned a lot, and have passed on much of what they've learned to others through their blog.

In their latest installment, they took the opportunity at an old fashioned hotdog roast to gather some energy saving tips from other Yukoners.

Do you have a tip you'd like to share? We'd love it if you would post it here.

What We Heard | Monday, November 14, 2011

We wanted to share with you a summary of the comments made and the discussions that took place at our recent Waste-to-Energy workshop in Whitehorse. Once you have read this short report, please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

Our Southern Lakes Workshop Series | Monday, November 14, 2011

Yukon Energy is hosting a series of public workshops focused on the Marsh Lake Storage Concept.

Workshop #1 - Data Collection on Public Use
The aim of this workshop is to gather information on how people use Marsh, Tagish and Bennett Lakes. Members of the public are asked to join us and - using a map - identify your interests/usage of these lakes.

Saturday Nov. 19th – Marsh Lake Community Centre – 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Tuesday Nov. 22nd – Tagish Community Club – 7 – 9 p.m.

Workshop #2 - Groundwater Effects
The purpose of this workshop is to provide detailed, technical information discussion of the interaction between lake levels and shallow groundwater under private properties.  This workshop is open to all, but will be of particular interest to property owners in the Army Beach and South M’Clintock area.

Saturday Nov. 26 – Marsh Lake Community Centre – 12 noon to 6 p.m.

Yukon Energy will provide free transportation to Marsh Lake, Tagish and Carcross residents wishing to attend sessions outside their own community. Please contact us to book a ride by calling (867) 393-5333 or emailing communications@yukonenergy.ca.

DOOR PRIZES, FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED AT ALL WORKSHOPS.

*Workshops on shoreline erosion and aquatics/terrestrial effects will take place in early 2012. Watch for dates and times after Christmas.

What Should a Made in Yukon Energy Conservation Plan Look Like? | Thursday, November 10, 2011

You might recall that earlier this year, Yukon Energy teamed up with the Yukon Electrical Company Ltd. and the Yukon government’s Department of Energy, Mines & Resources to collect information about how people use electricity in the territory and where the greatest gains might be in terms energy conservation or efficiencies.

We hired ICF Marbek to do what's called a Conservation Potential Review. Marbek is one of Canada’s top energy consulting firms.

Over the past several months, the company has been gathering information to answer the following questions:
• How do Yukoners currently use energy (i.e. what percentage of energy consumption goes towards heat, hot water, lighting, plug loads, etc.)?
• How much power would Yukon need in future years if there weren't any energy conservation/efficiency initiatives put in place?
• How much potential is there in Yukon for energy savings through energy conservation initiatives?
• Where are the greatest gains to be made in terms of energy conservation?

The consultants have been gathering the information using customer billing data, stakeholder consultation and customer surveys. They’ve processed all the collected data and are now ready to start discussing their findings with Yukoners.

Marbek is coming to Yukon for two-and-a-half days of workshops next week in Whitehorse with various stakeholders. The workshops will allow participants to talk about how much of the electricity savings identified in the draft study can realistically be achieved within Yukon’s residential, commercial and renewable sectors between now and 2030.

Marbek will take the feedback it receives during these workshops and use it to further refine its report. The final version of the report will be available to everyone as soon as it is completed.
 

Short Power Outage | Thursday, November 10, 2011

Loss of generation from Yukon Energy’s Aishihik plant resulted in a power outage earlier today that affected sections of Whitehorse, the Mayo Road, communities south of Whitehorse (Carcross, Tagish, Marsh Lake and Teslin), Dawson City, and Alexco’s Bellekeno mine.

Power went out at 11:35 a.m. and was restored to all areas by shortly after 12 noon.
 

Calculating Your Energy Usage | Thursday, November 10, 2011

Want to know how much it costs for your daily shower or bath? Need to better understand how much electricity your television or your computer uses?

We have a new tool that can help you manage your electricity usage and lower your power bill. Check out our energy calculator and let us know what you think.

Light at the End of the Tunnel (Or Should We Say Penstock?) | Tuesday, November 8, 2011

We are now just weeks away from putting Mayo B into service. The last piece of penstock (the underground pipe that carries water from Wareham Lake to the new powerhouse) was recently installed and we should be putting our Mayo A plant back into operation within the next week or two. We expect Mayo B to be supplying electricity to the grid before the end of this year.  Below is a photo of the final piece of penstock being welded into place.

Yukon Energy on YouTube | Saturday, November 5, 2011

Yukon Energy now has a YouTube channel. It's another way for us to share information with you about our projects and research. Let us know if you find this a useful tool.