SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Wind energy could be coming to Yellowknife as early as next year, says Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

The newest idea for Con Mine's Robertson Headframe, as presented in this photo illustration, is to afix it with a three-megawatt windmill. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo illustration Other ideas previously offered for Robertson Headframe Astrology viewing platform Solar telescope Bungee jumping and rock climbing platform Mining museum display Geothermal heating plant Static landmark with aviation lights and communication equipment for VHF radio communications and cell phone coverage

There are two locations being considered, Giant Mine and the Robertson Headframe at Con Mine.

Van Tighem said wind turbines on the cliffs above now defunct Giant Mine are a possibility for next year. A few years ago turbines were set up on the site to determine the potential for success, and now they're being discussed again, he said.

The second site being considered is atop Robertson Headrame, where the installation of a three-megawatt windmill generator was proposed by a group of former Con Mine employees, according to a document from the city. To compare, the main turbine at NWT Power Corporation's Snare River hydro facility is capable of producing eight megawatts of power.

The employees say it appears the structure is capable of handling the structural load of the windmill, which would generate energy that could be tied into the existing power grid.

Mark Heyck, city councillor and member of the City Heritage Committee, said the idea of a windmill on the headframe is worth considering.

He said it's a particularly interesting idea because the energy produced by the windmill could be used in conjunction with the proposed district heating system for the city's downtown.

The system would be partially heated with geothermal heat from the mine, while the other portion would be heated with electric heat pumps, which require electricity.

Heyck said if there were a windmill on top of the Robertson Headframe generating energy, that could go toward the district heating system, so the city wouldn't have to pay for the electricity to power the pumps.

"It's kind of intriguing as a concept to start to think about a renewable source of electricity that could actually feed into that system," said Heyck. "(But) there's a lot more exploration that needs to go before we look at that seriously."

There have been many ideas thrown around about what to do with the Robertson Headframe since 2009 when the city requested that Newmont Mining postpone its planned demolition of the structure.

At the time, there was overwhelming public support to save the headframe, which opened to much fanfare in 1977 as the NWT's tallest man-made structure at 76 metres, but there were no responses to the city's request for proposals for a preservation plan for the landmark named after a former worker at Con, Bob Robertson.

"To date we haven't been approached by a business or an organization to actually take on the management on it for some other use, so year-by-year the city has been working with Newmont to basically preserve the structure in its current state until we can come up with an actual plan to preserve it and to use it for something," said Heyck.

"It's not that surprising, it's a pretty big responsibility to take on something like that. At this point I think (we are), as the Heritage Committee, primarily looking at the concept of maintaining it as a landmark, which would preserve it for the future."

Heyck said the Heritage Committee will be discussing possibilities for the headframe, and the cost of those possibilities at their next meeting.