Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to advise the Legislature of recent initiatives which may see the addition of wind generation in more Arctic communities.
New technology, more stringent environmental conditions, sustained high fuel costs and emerging business interests are creating this opportunity. It is time for the NWT Power Corporation to make its commitment to proving that wind energy can be a viable part of the North's power supply.
The corporation is developing business arrangements in several communities with aboriginal and private sector investors, and the governments of both the Northwest Territories and Canada.
In Sachs Harbour and lqaluit, the corporation is working with government and aboriginal interests to install and evaluate 50-kilowatt wind turbines. Talks are also under way with private sector investors for similar installations in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay.
In Coppermine, the corporation will fund two 80-kilowatt turbines which are expected to be on line this fall. And in Yellowknife, the corporation will assist with setting up measuring equipment to evaluate the potential of a wind farm.
Mr. Speaker, where the right weather conditions exist, wind technology can help reduce dependence on diesel generation and create new business. It also offers major environmental savings. The proposed arrangements could see the Power Corporation purchase power at rates that would allow cost recovery and a reasonable return on investment. Even where these rates may be higher than the avoided cost of diesel, the corporation will consider paying a premium in order to advance this new technology.
Mr. Speaker, I also wish to advise the Assembly that an operations unit has been created to focus engineering and planning expertise on wind and other alternative energy projects. The four-person energy utilization group will be headquartered in Hay River and has a two-year mandate. It will assist customers, developers and the corporation in coordinating efforts aimed at making better use of energy technology for all northerners. Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause