SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The Arctic Energy Alliance is in the beginning stages this week of rolling out a two-year, $1.8 million project with the GNWT that will provide a series of energy and cost efficient upgrades to homes, buildings and community energy networks throughout the territory.

The funding agreement, which was finalized last week, either tops up, expands or establishes 10 broad programs through the Arctic Energy Alliance and will focus primarily on any community reliant on diesel.

Louie Azzolini, executive director of Arctic Energy Alliance said each of the 10 programs will involve numerous local sub-projects over the next two years. How they are carried out will depend on the level of demand and specific needs of clients, he said.

"Combined, I would venture to say that every community in the Northwest Territories will be touched by this in some way," he said, adding the scope of the overall project is one of the biggest he's been involved with since he became executive director. "It is really an incredible opportunity.

"I hope after two years the residents of NWT can reflect and take stock of just how much they're making a difference in the biggest issues: climate change and the cost of living."

Programs include a continuation up to the end of this fiscal year of the alliance's rebate programs including its three Alternative Energy Technologies Programs for residences, businesses and larger community-energy programs as well as an energy savings program for commercial buildings.

Funding will go to a new LED "community swapping out" program that will involve installing more energy efficient bulbs in homes, businesses, and government buildings; assistance for local governments to install solar panels; helping condo corporations in the North with biomass heating rebates; providing wood stove set-up partnership with community governments and their residents; and facilitating heating ventilation and air conditioning inspections for both commercial and government properties.

There will also be further energy rating services to help especially low-income people who have had energy rating service assessments in meeting their energy savings at home. The Alliance is also working on a database project that will compile more precise information and trends about energy consumption in NWT communities.

Dave Nightingale, director of energy policy and planning with the Energy Division of the Department of Public Works oversees the co-ordination of government funding to bodies like the Arctic Energy Alliance.

Nightingale explained that in September the GNWT had decided to provide the Northwest Territories Power Corporation with about $30 million ($29.7 million) in order to subsidize a needed increased reliance on diesel generators due to low water levels in the Snare River system. The plan had set aside about $22 million in the first fiscal year and seven million for 2016-17, Nightingale said.

To carry that out, cabinet had to meet and vote to direct funds through a process called a "supplementary appropriation."

"In those discussions a couple of things occurred," Nightingale said. "One, ... diesel oil prices went really quite low. So the thinking was that there might be some flexibility in that money because of those low oil prices.

"It was proposed at that time that because of low oil prices to take 10 per cent of the $22 million for this fiscal year and invest it in renewable energy. The ministers agreed."

Nightingale said as $1.8 million of the $2.2 million will go to the Arctic Energy Alliance, the remaining $400,000 will go to completing a three-year project by the Northwest Territories Power Corporation to change every street light in the NWT with LED lighting.

Pam Coulter, communications manager with power corp. said that after the corporation requested the funding from GNWT to deal with the low water, the drop in diesel prices changed the amount of overall funding they needed.

"We got $400,000 and we will use it to continue to roll out the LED street lights program," she said.

Coulter said there are 431 street lights left in seven communities across the NWT, which will be done by March 31.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.