Deline (Sep 18/06) - Premier Joe Handley may have pulled the plug on a $600-million hydroelectric project on the Great Bear River, but the Deline Land Corp. isn't giving up on finding a cleaner alternative to diesel-powered generators.

Communities in the Sahtu could generate their own hydroelectricity, said corporation president Leroy Andre. Smaller-scale methods such as mini-hydro and wind turbines might help small communities become more self-sufficient.

"The price of diesel and the cost of living in the Sahtu has risen dramatically," he said. "We need to look at options such as hydro."

People in Deline were not surprised by Handley's announcement during the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. meetings on Sept. 7, said Andre.

The federal government never agreed to fund an environmental assessment, valued at about $3 million, which he said was essential to the project. "We've anticipated this decision," he said. "We tried our best to secure funds from the federal government and we got nothing."

Massive projects such as the Great Bear River dam are expensive and require federal funding that is never guaranteed, Andre said. He added smaller efforts done on a community-by-community basis, would afford several avenues of financial support. "With mini-turbines, it's possible a place like Tulita might become self-sufficient," he said.