News From the Fishladder | Thursday, June 10, 2010

Yukon Energy's Whitehorse Rapids Fishladder has opened for the summer season. It's a great place to bring young and old alike. Here are some of the things you'll see if you come for a visit:

• The underwater fish cameras have been re-activated. The cameras are located at the base of the fishladder and allow you to view the fish in real time. Right now you'll see various types of freshwater fish including grayling and lake trout. In early August the Chinook salmon start to arrive. You can check out our fish cam on our web site.
   
• Those of you who follow this blog might remember that last summer, we unveiled a large public art piece entitled "One Fish, Two Fish". It commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fishladder and shows 55 Chinook salmon travelling up the Yukon River. Each salmon was painted and decorated by Yukon individuals or groups. We had so much positive feedback and interest in the project that we decided to have a Part Two created. This time it's day cares and schools that were invited to decorate the fish. The installation will be open to the public in late June.
   
• We are once again this year offering family season's passes to the fishladder. Normally we request a $3 donation per person for each visit. This family pass allows unlimited visits to the ladder by the entire family for just $10. Since there's so much going on at the fishladder, one visit is never enough, so this pass is very good value.

For more information about the fishladder, visit our web site or call 867.633.5965.

Southern Lakes Open Houses | Tuesday, June 8, 2010

This is a reminder that Yukon Energy is holding a series of open houses this week in parts of the Southern Yukon. The purpose is twofold. We want to provide residents and property owners with our annual forecast of summer water levels on Marsh Lake. As well, we will talk about the studies we have planned for this summer with regards to exploring the idea of increased winter water storage on Marsh.

The dates, times and locations are as follows:

Marsh Lake Community Centre - Tuesday June 8th from 5 to 8 p.m.
Tagish Community Club - Wednesday June 9th from 5 to 8 p.m.
Carcross Community Curling Club - Thursday June 10th from 5 to 8 p.m.

Call 867.393.5333 for details or email janet.patterson@yec.yk.ca

Construction Starts on Mayo B Project | Friday, June 4, 2010

Yukon Energy received some good news this week. We have received all the permits necessary to start groundwork on the Mayo B project, and construction will begin later today or tomorrow. Initial work will include clearing and grubbing (removal of stumps, roots and shrubs) of the area where the penstock will be located. The penstock is the large underground pipe that will carry water to the hydro plant.

Last month Yukon Energy received a favourable response to the project from both the Yukon Utilities Board and the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB). However we needed some permits and final approvals before moving ahead with construction. Those came yesterday and today in the form of an energy project certificate, a land use permit, and decision documents from the Yukon and federal governments accepting YESAB's recommendations.

Mayo B will increase the ability to generate clean power from five megawatts to approximately 15 megawatts without the need for a new dam. The project will offset greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25,000 tonnes a year. It is also expected to create job opportunities for approximately 150 people over the next two years, most of whom will be Yukoners. Peter Kiewit Sons Co., the construction contractor, has set up a hiring office in Mayo and is working with the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun and the community of Mayo to ensure local employment and business opportunities during construction.

Mayo B is being made affordable due to a $ 53.35 million contribution from the Federal government’s Green Infrastructure Fund as well as $30.15 million from the Yukon Development Corporation and the Yukon government. The other $36.5 million will be paid for by electrical customers. However because the cost will be spread over the lifetime of the project (50+ years) there will not be a rate increase as a result of the Mayo B project.

Take a Tour; Learn Energy Saving Tips | Thursday, May 27, 2010

Interested in decreasing your power bills? Yukon Energy, in collaboration with Maritime Power in Prince Edward Island, has created a tool that we hope will provide you with energy saving hints. It's a virtual home that give tips for reducing electricity use in each room. Click on the doorway to begin your tour.

Once you've visited this site we'd love to hear your feed-back. Is this something you find useful?

Keeping You In the Loop | Thursday, April 1, 2010

We invite you to read our latest newsletter to get the most up-to-date information regarding our Mayo B and Carmacks-Stewart transmission line projects.

Also, a reminder that the Yukon Utilities Board will hold public hearings on Mayo B starting this coming Tuesday (April 6th) at 9 a.m. at the Yukon Inn in Whitehorse.

A Busy Birthday | Friday, March 12, 2010

Today is Yukon Energy's 23rd birthday. We were incorporated on March 12, 1987.

It's been a busy but productive birthday! Not only did we sign a construction contract for the Mayo B project, but we also held a kick off meeting with the contractor who tomorrow starts building Stage 2 of the Carmacks-Stewart line.

Carcross Meeting | Monday, March 8, 2010

As you may know, we have been holding a series of public meetings in the Southern Lakes area to tell residents about our work to find more clean, renewable energy to meet the growing demand for electricity. Our latest meeting is set for this Wednesday night, March 10th, at 7 p.m. in Carcross. The meeting will take place at the Carcross Community Club. It will give people a chance to ask questions about an idea we have to increase winter storage on Marsh and Atlin Lakes, therefore providing more water to our Whitehorse plant in the late winter, when we need it the most for electrical generation.

It's important for you to understand that no decisions have been made to move forward with this concept. We must first gather a lot of information to determine if it is a viable project. Input from you will help determine how best to move forward. We hope to see as many Carcross residents at the meeting as possible.

Public Meeting at Tagish | Monday, February 15, 2010

Tagish property owners and residents are invited to a public meeting this Wednesday evening (Feb. 17th) at 7 p.m. at the Tagish Community Centre. We'll be talking to you about some ideas we have for increasing the amount of hydro power we can produce at our Whitehorse plant. These ideas involve increased winter storage on Marsh Lake and some winter storage on Atlin Lake. Please contact us through this blog if you require more information. Hope to see you there.

Squeezing the Most out of What We Have | Tuesday, February 2, 2010

As we work to meet the growing demand for electricity, we are committed to meeting that demand with clean energy. We feel it is our obligation to ensure, as much as possible, that the power we produce is from renewable sources. We believe that Northerners have a collective interest in keeping the environment clean.

To this end, Yukon Energy is looking at all possible sources of renewable energy, including geo-thermal, wind, and the enhancement of our existing hydro assets. Before we build any new hydro dams we want to make sure we are getting the most out of our existing facilities, since enhancement projects are far less expensive and have a smaller environmental footprint than new greenfield initiatives. At our Mayo plant, our enhancement work is in the form of our Mayo B project. At our Aishihik facility, we are adding a third turbine and looking to divert some water from Gladstone Creek to increase the amount of electricity we are able to produce. In Whitehorse, we have begun exploring the idea of  increased winter storage on both Marsh Lake and Atlin Lake. To learn more we invite you to read this newsletter that outlines the concepts. Please contact us if you have any questions.