NTPC eyeing wind and solar
Hope is to have alternate energy in the North Slave
Karen K. Ho
Northern News Services
Monday, December 21, 2015
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
Power sources in the territory may see two new additions. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation has put out an expression of interest (EOI) for a solar and wind project for the North Slave area.
The expanded solar panel system at the Fort Simpson airport. The Northwest Territories Power Corporation is considering more solar and wind power options for the territory. - NNSL file photo |
"The cost is definitely coming down," said Power corp. spokesperson Pam Coulter. "And the GNWT, through public works and services, they have an energy division now and they do the research and development."
Coulter said this energy division will determine whether this will work.
This expression of interest for an alternate energy project in the North Slave region, which includes the communities of Dettah, Behchoko, Ndilo and Yellowknife, is a first for the power company after multiple businesses told them they could generate cheaper than diesel.
"We're putting that out to see if there are options to do that," she said.
Coulter said in a normal water year, 75 per cent of the territory's energy is already generated by a renewable resource through hydro (water). In Yellowknife and North Slave, 95 per cent comes from hydro and five per cent comes from diesel. However, she acknowledged low water levels have meant that percentage of diesel has risen in the last two years.
"We're looking for ways instead of using diesel for that time to use something else," she said.
Coulter said the Power corp. has been looking at renewable alternatives to diesel for years but it used to not be no more economical than the cost of diesel fuel, which meant implementation would have increased the price of power.
"It has to be equal or cheaper than producing or generating with diesel," she said. "Governments obviously can invest as well but we can't do things that are going to make the cost of power go up."
With solar, Coulter said the challenge is how it can't be transmitted over long distances.
"It kind of needs to be generated where it's used," she said. "Whereas wind is generated and be transmitted over long distances. But we're really hoping with the prices coming down that can we can start including them in our generation mix."
For solar and wind companies interested in working with NTPC, the deadline is Jan. 8.
