Hydro power would cut NWT emissions
Mike Bryant
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (May 14/01) - Increased hydro electric generation is the key to reducing reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Northwest Territory, says Joe Handley, Minister for Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.
The territorial government released it's greenhouse gas strategy last March, but if its current action plan isn't changed the results will be less than modest Handley says.
"We're going to have to do something more drastic if we want to reach the reduction rates outlined by the Kyoto Agreement," Handley said.
The forecast projects only modest reductions of 47 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide on an annual basis. If the NWT continues in this manner, the territory will still be 800 kilotonnes over the limit in 2013.
"The main alternative we're looking at is the development of our hydro potential," he said.
Handley sees further development on the Taltson River and possible hydro projects in areas such as the Lockhart river as the only way to reach limits set by the Kyoto Agreement.
"The Lockhart is close to the diamond mines," Handley said.
"Diamond mines are major consumers of diesel fuel. If we were to develop the Lockhart or the Snare cascades and give the diamond mines hydro power instead of diesel- fired power that would bring us down below the target."
Logistically, the territorial government would not be able to undertake any such projects on their own, Handley admits.
A small tax base and the higher cost of doing business in the North would prevent any local initiative to develop hydro power, but Handley says the private sector might be interested.
"They could sell the hydro electricity for a profit and we could collect a levy," explained Handley.
