How clean is Yukon's electricity?

Here are the facts. Without new clean power, we may have to burn up to $42 million worth of diesel in 2014 to keep the lights on and businesses thriving. That’s 932 Super B tanker trucks delivering fuel up the highway from Edmonton. Each truck holds about 50,000 litres of diesel and will consume up to 3,400 litres of fuel just to drive to the Yukon and back.

Put another way—without new clean power by 2014, more than 121,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could be put in the air each year as a result of having to burn diesel.

Whatever energy we use, it needs to be clean so we can all continue to enjoy clean Yukon air and water. To help Yukon avoid GHG emissions, even while increasing the energy available to meet demand, Yukon Energy is:

  • switching communities over to hydro power from diesel
  • adding hydro sources of power through projects such as Mayo B and Aishihik Third Turbine
  • investigating other ideas to enhance our existing hydro facilities, including the Gladstone Diversion and the Marsh Lake Winter Storage Concept
  • looking at other clean energy sources like wind, solar, and biomass
  • encouraging all Yukoners to use the energy that is available now as efficiently as possible, and leading in this regard by example

By implementing these clean energy measures, we not only reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions, we will also significantly increase our ability to meet demand, both now and into the future.