The federal government says it is building an electricity grid that “underpins energy security, affordability, and competitiveness.”
As part of the National Electricity Strategy formed in May, Canada this week announced $7 million in funding for eight clean energy projects in Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut to strengthen local electricity systems, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and support long-term economic growth for communities in the North, where remote utility rates are up to 10 times higher than the national average.
“Building a stronger Canada starts with building reliable, affordable, and clean electricity systems throughout the country, including the North,” says Julie Dabrusin, who serves as Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Nature.
“We are creating the conditions for long-term economic growth, greater resilience and new opportunities for northern communities while advancing our path to a low-carbon future,” she remarked.
One project received funding from Natural Resources Canada’s $4.5-billion Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, which supports the deployment of grid modernization projects and energy storage across the country.
That project involves the advancement of wind energy development in Baker Lake.
The other projects secured capital through Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Energy for Rural and Remote Communities program.
Launched in 2018 and recapitalized in 2021, the CERRC program has invested $450M to reduce the reliance on diesel and other fossil fuels for heat and power in rural and remote communities, supported over 230 renewable energy projects across Canada.
In this latest batch of funding, Yukon University garnered $2.8M to help facilitate community-led renewable generation projects in local communities, while the Municipality of Resolute Bay attracted $260K to install a 15-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system.
There is also a 134-kW solar array on the roof of an ice rink in Chesterfield Inlet as well as plans for a hydrokinetic turbine in the Mackenzie River.
“Securing reliable, affordable, clean power in Yukon and the North is essential to our prosperity, security and sustainability,” says Brendan Hanley, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs.
Hanley says the government is committed to “help meet evolving energy needs, create economic opportunities, reduce emissions, and advance community-led solutions that will help power the North’s energy future.”