Senate committee visits Whati
Community's energy projects subject of meeting
Kassina Ryder
Northern News Services
Published Monday, May 26, 2014
WHATI/LAC LA MARTRE
Energy was the focus of discussion when the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources stopped in Whati during its Northern tour on May 13.
Larry Baran, the community's senior administrative officer, said 11 members of the committee, which includes Northwest Territories Senator Nick Sibbeston, travelled to the community to discuss ways Whati is tackling energy challenges.
Baran said Chief Alfonz Nitsiza and councillor Sonny Zoe spearheaded the discussions.
Baran said because Whati has undertaken a number of energy conservation and efficiency projects over the last decade, the community was an ideal stop for the committee.
"We're working on so many projects right now, it raised our profile a bit," he said.
Baran said the committee had four main areas of focus during discussions, the first being energy challenges in the North, including existing energy infrastructure.
Baran said the community's reliance on diesel to run its generators was highlighted.
"We're bringing in diesel once a year on the ice road and we have a large tank that feeds the community over the course of the year," he said. "It's a tremendous expense up front for NTPC (Northwest Territories Power Corporation), which of course they're going to pass on. That was an issue."
Baran said while the diesel plant is quieter and produces less air pollution than it did 20 years ago, elders in the community still point out how much the plant impacts their lives.
"The elders often talk about how they used to be able to make snow tea. They could go outside and pick up some snow and melt it and make tea with it because the snow was so clear," he said. "With the advent of the diesel plant being right in the middle of the community, they have to go a significant distance outside the community to collect snow for snow tea."
Another topic focused on identifying existing territorial and federal programs and to improve energy use and supply in the North, Baran said.
Baran said Nitsiza and Zoe shared the various projects undertaken in Whati, such as NTPC's replacement of streetlights with energy efficient LEDs, as well as the community's wood stove project.
The project, which was a partnership between the Tlicho Government, the Whati community government and Arctic Energy Alliance, supplied 11 homes in the community with energy efficient wood stoves last May.
Zoe, who helped spearhead the program, said it was well-received.
"Because the stoves in the home were old style, they didn't produce enough heat and burns the wood fast," he said. "We got a lot of good feedback on it."
He said he hopes to expand the program to Wekweeti and Gameti.
"We want to do more stoves in other communities, too, in the near future," he said.
Zoe said he also discussed other projects to improve energy efficiency, such as assisting homeowners to insulate their hot water tanks and helping to install new water faucets.
Baran said the group also told the visitors about the community's small-scale solar projects, including solar panels at the airport, the Whati Community Store, a four-plex apartment unit and the public works building.
Baran said the solar project at the apartment unit supplies power to the building's laundry facilities.
"Completing laundry is a huge energy demand," he said. "Anything you can use to offset that electricity is a bonus."
Baran said the community is now looking at ways to install solar panels along the airport's runway, which would further reduce the community's dependence on diesel.
"What that would do is allow us actually to power down the diesel plant over the course of the summer," he said. "There is strong capability here."
The third topic of discussion was enhancing and identifying energy production for domestic needs and export markets, Baran said. The final topic was examining ways of improving affordability, availability, reliability and efficiency of energy use for industries, businesses, governments and residences in the North.
Baran said hydroelectricity was brought up as possible solutions to both topics.
Whati's plans for a mini-hydroelectric plant on the LaMartre River, which Baran said was turned over to the Tlicho Government as part of an ongoing discussion about hydroelectric projects throughout the territory, was highlighted as a way to produce energy.
Baran said while the project's expenses were too much for Whati to tackle alone, investing in hydroelectricity projects would provide affordable energy to NWT communities.
"We talked about the fact that hydroelectric is the most affordable option in the long run," he said. "It has the largest cost up front, especially when you compare it to diesel, but long-term, diesel will cost three or four times as much whereas the operating costs of a hydro facility actually drop over time."
Zoe said the key to improving energy efficiency in any community comes down to project affordability.
"Every time we do this kind of work you need funding. Funding is always the problem," he said. "If we could get some funding, we could do more."
He said being personally responsible for energy consumption is also key.
"We're blaming the industry and companies on the climate change, but you know, human beings, we have to look at our lives."
He said simple things such as not idling vehicles and turning off lights and televisions when not in use all help to save energy.
"A lot of people don't realize that," he said.
The committee stopped in Nunavut and NWT and is also scheduled to stop in Yukon.
Baran said members said a report on their research could be made public in the future, a copy of which would be sent to Whati.
