July 20th Power Outage Update

On July 20, 2026, a power outage affected grid-connected communities across the Yukon, including Dawson City, Mayo, Teslin, Whitehorse, and other areas. The outage began at approximately 11:40 am, and power was restored to all customers by 1:00 pm. This outage affected both Yukon Energy and ATCO Electric Yukon customers.   Based on our initial assessment, the outage was caused during maintenance work on a hydro turbine at the Aishihik Hydro Facility. During a mechanical adjustment, the unit tripped offline. This caused an imbalance on the electricity system and triggered other sources of power generation to disconnect from the grid, resulting in a widespread power outage.  Yukon Energy worked quickly to restore power with support from ATCO Electric Yukon. We appreciate the patience of our customers and recognize the hard work and dedication of the crews who responded to restore service safely and efficiently. The Aishihik hydro turbine was not damaged during this event.  The Yukon has an isolated power system, and while we work continuously to maintain reliable service, outages do happen. During Monday's event, diesel generation in Faro and Whitehorse was used to support system restoration.  Having reliable, dispatchable thermal resources, like diesel and liquefied natural gas (LNG) generation, is an important part of maintaining system reliability in Yukon. These resources can be brought online quickly when needed to support the grid, restore power, and supplement hydro power during periods of high demand.  This event serves as a reminder that power outages can happen even when they are least expected. Having a 72-hour emergency kit and an emergency plan in place can help you and your family stay safe during power outages and other unexpected events.  We appreciate Yukoners' understanding.