This is page numbers 763-836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was mr chair.

Topics

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McCormick. I just want to remind all the Members and other witnesses to just indicate when you're finished talking so the audio techs can switch the microphones. Mr. O'Reilly.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Kevin O'Reilly

Kevin O'Reilly Frame Lake

Thanks, Mr. Chair. No further questions on this page.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Any further questions on page 384? Seeing none. I'll call the page. Public Works and Services, directorate, operations expenditure summary, activity total, $11,936,000. Agreed?

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Some Hon. Members

Agreed.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Committee agrees. We'll move on to energy, page 386, page 387. We'll begin by discussing the detail on pages 388 and 389, interrelated pages. Do we have comments, questions, on pages 388 and 389 under energy? Ms. Green.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I think this is the right place to ask this question from the opening remarks. The Minister mentioned a reduction of 24 per cent in total energy intensity. I just want a definition of that phrase so that I'm sure that I understand it. Thank you.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Minister.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll let the deputy minister answer that question.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Guy?

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Guy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. The energy intensity is really a way we measure the energy usage of a particular asset. In this case, in that example we had done the analysis of all the schools. It takes into both the heating energy requirement and the electrical energy. So those reductions that we found across the education assets were a result of the implementation of the biomass boilers as well as the projects through the capital asset retrofit program, the retrofits. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Ms. Green.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So this is not the other definition of energy intensity, which is calculated as a unit of energy per unit of GDP, so it's an economic efficiency measure. Is that correct, it's not related to that? Thank you.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Ms. Green. Mr. Guy.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Guy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That's correct, it's not a GDP. We're looking at normalizing the energy consumption across the portfolio so we work it out based on the degree days of the heating year, and then factor into the overall size of the building as well as its geographic location. So it is not related to GDP. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Ms. Green.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that makes lots of sense. Thank you.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Next I have Mr. McNeely.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. My question is on 388 here. It seems like last year's consolidation went into this year with a slight increase here. More specifically, last year there was a number of programs with a budget figure attached to them. Now it's all consolidated into energy programs and policy development with an increase. Do I read it right, Mr. Chair? If I can get the Minister to -- ask clarification, was that the intent, was to consolidate everything into one line program item? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Minister.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Caroline Cochrane

Caroline Cochrane Range Lake

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll let the deputy minister answer that.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Minister. Mr. Guy.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Guy

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I recognize this page is a little bit complicated. Last year what we had shown there was all the funding that came from the various departments through the consolidation of energy initiative that was completed last fiscal year. You’ll see where all the different pots of money show up as contributions. In fact, when this page was developed last year, some of those contributions turned out to be contract services. So some of it moved into contract services. The rest of it, the contributions, we've rolled up into the category of energy programs and policy development. Those are really the contributions agreements that we do to the Arctic Energy Alliance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. McNeely.

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

Daniel McNeely

Daniel McNeely Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the guidelines for the delivery of this line item would remain the same, Mr. Chair?

Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
Consideration in Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters

The Chair

The Chair R.J. Simpson

Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Guy.