2030 Energy Strategy

28 HOW WE WILL ACHIEVE IT MEETING NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE OBJECTIVES: TALTSON HYDROELECTRICITY EXPANSION AND CONNECTION TO SOUTHERN GRID The Taltson hydroelectric system has additional capacity which is not currently being harnessed to produce power. A 60 Megawatt (MW) expansion next to the existing 18 MW hydro plant on the Taltson River could deliver green energy to market within 5-10 years. This would rely on existing water storage with no new flooding, and would include a transmission line to connect to the southern grid. In the longer term, future phases of expansion could add up to 140 MW. The purpose of this project is to export clean renewable power south to displace coal use, contributing to national GHG reduction targets and providing a long-term revenue stream that can be invested in the North. Revenues could fund energy projects that would stabilize the cost of energy in the NWT and make energy development a net contributor to the NWT economy. If the Taltson project can be connected at either Alberta or Saskatchewan, it has the potential to save as much as 360,000 tonnes of GHG emissions a year for the life of the facility, likely to exceed fifty years. This is equivalent to displacing about 25% of the total GHG emissions of the NWT. To make this project a reality, partnership with provinces or with industry, and federal support, will be required. Should this project proceed, the GNWT will offer equity investment opportunities to Aboriginal partners. Finding a market for Taltson energy is a key priority at this time. SUPPORTING INDUSTRY Connecting the North and South Slave grids, and expanding the Taltson system, would pave the way to connecting industry to clean renewable hydroelectricity. Hydroelectricity could provide industry with access to cheaper, renewable power, lowering energy costs for current and future development. As industry is the largest energy user, connecting industry to renewable power will result in a significant reduction in GHG emissions. The biggest challenge for this action is the initial cost of connecting the widely dispersed, short duration industrial customers to the distant hydropower systems that serve our largest communities. Federal infrastructure funding is required to make this possible, as are long-term partnerships with industry. This investment would develop the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the NWT. Outside of transmission expansion to connect industry to hydroelectricity, there is the potential for the GNWT, and its Crown Corporation, NTPC, to work with industry and institutions to study and deploy new technologies, and to partner with industry to fund renewable energy projects. LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS LNG is natural gas that is cooled to a liquid state. It is odourless and non-toxic, and can be safely and efficiently transported over long distances to locations not supplied by pipeline. It is a cost- effective alternative to diesel fuel for electricity, heating and transportation applications. The combustion of natural gas results in 25% less greenhouse gas emissions than diesel fuel, per unit of energy. LNG is presently used for power generation in Inuvik-accounting for approximately 40% of power production-with the rest coming from diesel. Feasibility studies have been carried out to assess the business case for LNG power generation in Fort Simpson and Tuktoyaktuk. Small-scale LNG supply facilities could be developed in other NWT communities as additional natural gas resources are developed. There is potential to expand LNG use even more with all-season road transportation corridors. EXPLORE EMERGING ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES While there is potential for many forms of renewable energy throughout the NWT (hydro, solar, wind, geothermal, biomass), not all are proven to function reliably in a cold, remote environment. The GNWT will continue to monitor emerging technologies and will look for opportunities to partner with leaders in these fields to pilot promising new technologies within the NWT (See Figure 9 for details). The Government of the Northwest Territories is currently developing a short term action plan to begin implementing this Strategy. The Action Plan will lay out specific actions, initiatives and projects that the GNWT and its partners will undertake over the next three years and will be included in the final version of the Strategy.

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