Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Apr 19/99) - Where there's energy, there's synergy.

That's the thinking of the North's power corporations.

In an effort to look more closely at co-operative planning, and ways to improve energy services North of 60, the NWT Power Corp. and Yukon Energy Corp. recently signed an agreement.

Energy supply planning, employee training, regulatory and environmental practice and joint purchasing are included in a list of areas the two corporations plan to examine co-operatively.

"Our companies still have a lot in common, such as combined hydro-diesel plants, plus a number of long-term employees who have operating experience in both areas," NWT Power Corp. president and CEO Leon Courneya said.

"We can share that expertise and improve service to all our customers," he said.

"This kind of joint action makes good business sense between neighbours," Yukon Energy president and CEO Rob McWilliam said.

"We can help keep rates down and advance ideas we're both working on like residual heat recovery and pilot projects in wind generation," he said.

The utilities have a common history. Both were under the Northern Canada Power Commission which was created in 1948 to serve the power needs of the emerging North.

Yukon negotiated ownership of its assets in 1986 while the NWT government purchased NCPC's remaining shares in 1988.

One of the first items being addressed will be the utilities' year 2000 preparations. Both corporations will share information on common problems and solutions related to Y2K.

Courneya and McWilliam will form an advisory committee to take action on the memorandum of understanding recently finalized by the two utilities. The MOU will be reviewed in 2002.

Yukon Energy representatives are to be at NWT Power Corp.'s Hay River offices later this month to start work on specific issues. NWT Power Corp. officials were in Whitehorse last fall.

Decisions and savings resulting from their efforts will affect residents of all three territories North of 60.

NWT Power Corp. recently signed a two-year transition plan with the Nunavut government which means NWT Power Corp. will continue as one entity providing power to the Eastern Arctic and the new Western territory. If a long-term continuance plan is not finalized by April 2000, independent power corporations will be set up in the West and East.

If the NWT Power Corp. is to be divided, Nunavut may decide to review its participation in the NWT Power Corp.-Yukon Energy MOU.