Latest news with #YukonEnergy
CBC
11 hours ago
- Business
- CBC
Mike Pemberton elected new leader of the Yukon Liberal Party
Members of the Yukon Liberal Party have chosen their next leader and the territory's next premier: businessman Mike Pemberton. "We are here tonight as part of a proud, and strong Liberal movement that is rooted in community. Compassion. And the belief that we can work together to build a brighter future for all Yukoners," Pemberton said. Pemberton narrowly won by 14 votes. Out of a total of 873 votes, Pemberton received 442, while fellow candidate Doris Bill received 429. Pemberton has been involved with the federal and territorial Liberals for more than 20 years. He was the spokesperson for Ranj Pillai's campaign when the current premier and party leader ran uncontested for the Yukon Liberal Party leadership. He also previously owned a furniture store in downtown Whitehorse. He's served on the Whitehorse and Yukon chambers of commerce, the Yukon Development Corporation and the board of Yukon Energy. Pemberton is now premier-designate until a swearing-in ceremony. Once sworn in, They will then serve as the territory's 11th premier until the next general election, which must happen before November 3.
CBC
a day ago
- General
- CBC
Thousands of fish could be killed at Whitehorse dam, new study suggests
Social Sharing Thousands of fish may be killed as they swim downstream through the hydroelectric dam in Whitehorse, a new study suggests — and that's something one environmentalist is calling "unacceptable." Prepared by the B.C.-based environmental consulting firm EcoFish under contract for Yukon Energy, the research is linked to the relicensing process for the dam, now in front of the Yukon Water Board. EcoFish has studied fish mortality associated with the dam before. Its latest research, though, estimates the number of fish that could be killed. The research, based on two years of field work as well as data going back several years, suggests that many fish are being unwittingly sucked into intakes such as the dam's four turbines — a phenomenon called entrainment. An estimated 25,063 resident fish, which include whitefish, grayling and Northern pike, are entrained each year, the study states. More than half of those — about 15,470 — could be killed. Then there are imperilled chinook salmon, with an estimated 43,000 to 203,000 juveniles entering the intakes annually, the study states. Between 13,000 and 62,000 of those will be killed, it says, representing about 30 per cent of all migrating juvenile salmon in the Yukon River. This would mean that if 200,000 juvenile salmon were to move downstream, it's likely that less than one per cent of those would return as adults to the Yukon-Alaska border or the dam because of all the other ways in which salmon could be killed during their lifecycles. Built in 1958, Yukon Energy's dam on the Yukon River is a crucial piece of infrastructure, generating enough power to supply on-grid residents with roughly 80 per cent of their electricity during the summer — equivalent to lighting up roughly one million 40 watt light bulbs. The dam has four turbines, a spillway and, at roughly 366 metres, what the company boasts is the "longest wooden fish ladder in the world." Fish entrained at the Whitehorse dam can be killed in different ways. "Overall, it was found that the greatest mortality risk to fish was due to strikes/collisions … followed by barotrauma, and shear stress," the study states. Barotrauma refers to injuries brought on by sudden changes in air or water pressure. The dam has four turbines, with the last one installed in 1985. The study says nearly 12,000 resident fish enter that route alone, and it's one of the more dangerous. The mortality rate for grayling swimming through the newest turbine is 85 per cent; for Northern pike, it's 99 per cent. Juvenile salmon were studied separately. The research suggests the larger they are, the higher the likelihood they are killed. For wild, one-year-old chinook, the mortality rate is 58 per cent. The study states fish are more likely to be sucked into the dam during spring and summer nights. With that, it recommends considering adjusting flows during sensitive migration periods. The study also suggests more research into fish ecology in Schwatka Lake, the dam's reservoir, and taking a hard look at the turbines. "Fish behaviour can also be influenced to try and guide fish away from potentially harmful passage routes," the study states. "This has been attempted using screens, flow deflectors, lights, electricity, and bubble curtains with some success." Researchers used discharge data between 2013 and 2024. They also took fish samples, hydroacoustic scans and deployed sensors down intakes at the dam, including the turbines and spillway. Researchers employed similar methods in a 2023 study. This time they were expanded. 'It's just insane how many' Sebastian Jones, a wildlife analyst with the Yukon Conservation Society, told CBC News the new research not only shows but confirms how perilous the dam can be for fish. "Some of these turbines are killing almost every freshwater fish that comes through them," he said. "It's just insane how many. That's unacceptable, I think that's a fairly reasonable conclusion." While mortality rates for juvenile chinook salmon are lower compared to freshwater fish like grayling, Jones said it's no surprise salmon upstream of the dam are "winking out." "There's no wonder there's no salmon left in the McClintock River that used to support fish camps." Roughly 88 per cent of the territory's electricity comes from renewable sources, primarily hydroelectricity. The territory has for years been aspiring to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with ministers saying the Yukon is on firm footing already because of its three dams. But Jones said dams aren't "green" — they come with significant environmental impacts. "So when we are contemplating expanding or building new hydro [dams] we need to bear that in mind, you know, are we prepared to wipe out fish runs?" he said. "They're very hard on rivers. "The research is valuable. It is important, and it will help us design a generating system that reduces the number of fish killed."
CBC
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Whitehorse businessman Mike Pemberton joins race to lead Yukon Liberals
Yukon Liberals will get a chance to vote for their new leader this time. Businessman Mike Pemberton launched his campaign for the Liberal leadership in Whitehorse Tuesday, promising action on affordability, housing, health care and public safety. His candidacy means the first contested leadership race for the Liberals in two decades. "I have immense respect for all citizens of Yukon," he said. "I want to be part of a solution and and not part of a problem. I want to be able to help." Pemberton is the former owner of a furniture store in downtown Whitehorse. He's served on the Whitehorse and Yukon chambers of commerce, the Yukon Development Corporation and the board of Yukon Energy. He said that experience makes him a "right of centre" candidate who will seek to ease environmental regulations and make things easier on the private sector. "I want to see how we can work through that to make that easier for those corporations, those medium and those small businesses, how we can work with them to make things better and they can become more profitable because profit is not a dirty word," Pemberton said. "Profit makes the world go round." The deadline for leadership candidate nominations is May 29. Each candidate will have to pay a non-refundable nomination fee of $7,000 to the Yukon Liberal Party. The Liberal leadership convention will take place in Whitehorse June 19. Former Kwanlin Dün First Nation Chief Doris Bill has already announced her candidacy for the party leadership. That means Liberals will vote for their leader for the first time since 2005, when Arthur Mitchell defeated former premier Pat Duncan. Current leader Ranj Pillai and former leader Sandy Silver were both acclaimed.
CBC
23-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Yukon, B.C. agree to work together on electrical grid connection
The governments of Yukon and B.C. have signed an agreement to work together toward connecting their electrical grids, something Yukon's premier is touting as a "nation-building" project. "I think all Yukoners know this is a really good pathway for the future of the Yukon. It's going to make sure that we can build projects, mineral projects," said Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai. "It's also going to be able to sustain our energy needs, when we just think about the growth of the Yukon." The memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday as Canada's western premiers met in Yellowknife. It commits Yukon and B.C. to "collaboration through the exploration and planning phases" of the project, according to a joint news release. A grid connection with B.C. has long been on the Yukon government's wish list. Last year, Premier Ranj Pillai called on Ottawa to pony up $60 million for the project, and in September, the federal government "conditionally approved" up to $40 million to study a 765-kilometre transmission line. Yukon's grid — which is not currently connected to the rest of North America — is under increasing strain to meet the local demand for power as the territory's population keeps growing and the territory's own green energy strategy calls for electrifying large swaths of the economy. Meantime, Yukon Energy — the territory's power corp. — has applied this month to hike electricity rates by 34 per cent over the next three years to help pay for $350 million in "essential" upgrades to the aging system. Pillai said the agreement signed with B.C. on Thursday is to ensure that the $40-million in federal funding announced last year can be used. "We have the resources that are required, but it's just to get that commitment with British Columbia to, as well, look at the potential of selling power to us, or to buy power from us in the future," Pillai said. At a news conference Thursday, B.C. Premier David Eby pointed to how reliant the Yukon is on diesel as an example of how this deal will benefit both areas. "Electricity from B.C. would create jobs in B.C. and opportunity in British Columbia, as well as in the Yukon. And I'm looking forward to work with Premier Pillai on that," he said. The premier said his government is focusing on the project right now because of Prime Minister Mark Carney's interest in so-called nation-building projects. "We're going to need Canada to come to the table with a huge investment on the major capital budget. We can't put this on the shoulders of Yukoners, it's too expensive to do. But it will lead to so much potential for our country," Pillai said. "We think it's a nation-building project, and we think it's of national consequence." Pillai said the grid connection will help spur new development and energy projects in the Yukon and northern B.C. He said when mining companies express interest in investing in the Yukon, they "always" ask about the territory's long-term energy strategy. He also said First Nations' involvement in both B.C. and the Yukon is the "foundation" of the project. "We're looking at other transmission lines that have been built across the country where there's been significant Indigenous ownership, and we want to use that model," Pillai said.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Yukon Energy applies for 34% power rate hike over next 3 years
Social Sharing The Yukon Energy Corporation is proposing to hike power rates for customers over the next few years by about 34 per cent, to help pay for hundreds of millions of dollars in "essential" work to keep the system functioning. Residential customers could see their monthly bills go up by about $25 to $30 on average, by 2027 if the plan goes ahead. Rates would also go up for industrial customers. The publicly-owned utility has submitted its general rate application for 2025-2027 to the Yukon Utilities Board. The board will undertake a public review of the 617-page application over the coming months. Yukon Energy is proposing to spend more than $350 million on "system-wide investments" over the next three years. That corporation says there are more than 150 projects it needs to undertake as soon as possible. "It is a lot," acknowledged Yukon Energy CEO Chris Milner. "I think it it speaks to the challenges that we're facing here in the Yukon, but really the challenges that I think we're seeing across Canada. And we're seeing this need to invest in energy systems, kind of all at once — and it does seem like it's all at once." Milner says Yukon's energy infrastructure is aging, as the territory's population continues to grow. That's putting increasing pressure on the system, he said. "And when you have pressure on the system, you need to invest in it to keep it reliable and strong," Milner said. Rockslides threaten Mayo facility A major portion of the proposed work is $180-million in upgrades to the Mayo generating station, including work to protect the station from ongoing rockslides that threaten the facility with "a high potential for catastrophic failure in the near future," according to the rate application. "Full slope stabilization is required as soon as feasible to protect the plant from a global failure which could be catastrophic," the application reads. Other work at the Mayo facility — one of three hydro facilities in the territory — would involve reconstructing a spillway and replacing other aging infrastructure. Milner called the work needed at Mayo "significant, and it needs to move forward, you know, starting today." "We're certainly working with government to support the Mayo project, in particular to help offset the future pressures that would come to ratepayers for covering large projects such as that," he said. Other projects detailed in the rate application include a grid-scale battery energy storage system for Whitehorse, replacing diesel generators in Faro and Whitehorse, and upgrading Dawson City's local power system. "What we've done with this application is present the must-have scenario we're in. We're really into the foundational requirements for the system," Milner said. "We're presenting a case that is compelling, that these these investments are required." The Yukon Utilities Board review is public and is expected to take about a year, Milner said. The board is a quasi-judicial agency in Yukon, operating at arms' length from government and mandated to "ensure that Yukoners have safe electricity service at just and reasonable rates," according to its website. It says reviewing a rate application involves looking at "the financial requirements of the utility, such as fair return and impacts on the customer.
