Nearly $17 million in funding was this month announced for a wind-powered energy project slated to launch in Canada’s Far North.
Natural Resources Canada led the charge, providing over $13 million through its Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program to support the Kluane N’tsi Wind Energy Project, which is situated between the communities of Burwash Landing and Destruction Bay.
Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada also announced $2 million in funding through the Arctic Energy Fund of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.
And Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada provided a $1.5M investment from the Northern Responsibility Energy Approach for Community Heat and Electricity program, bringing the total funding for the Kluane N’tsi Wind Energy Project to more than $16M.
The Kluane N’tsi Nation’s 900-kW wind turbine has been integrated into the region’s existing diesel grid, along with battery storage that allows the community to turn off diesel generators when wind power is available.
The move is expected to reduce the community’s diesel usage by up to 50%, according to Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.
“By integrating wind power with battery storage, this project is reducing reliance on diesel, cutting emissions, and strengthening energy security in the North,” Hodgson stated.
“The project is also creating local jobs, building technical expertise, and ensuring lasting economic benefits for the community,” the federal minister added.
“Offsetting diesel energy production with renewable wind power is a meaningful step toward building a more sustainable, cost-effective, resilient community,” agrees Brendan Hanley, who serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs.
Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson positions the project as “a moment of leadership in the clean energy sector,” believing that the move “demonstrates the power of collaboration in building a stronger Canada.”