Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question 11-18(3) asked by the Member for Frame Lake to the Minister responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation on May 30, 2018 regarding the Taltson Hydroelectric Expansion Project.
- Phase one of the project includes a 60 megawatt expansion to the Taltson hydropower system, the construction of a transmission line to link the North and South Slave electricity systems, and expanding transmission infrastructure to connect to mining customers in the Slave Geological Province. The first phase could deliver green energy in the next five to ten years. The project would be funded through partnership with the federal government and through electricity sales to new customers.
Clean and reliable hydropower from the Taltson expansion will be sold to existing and future mineral resource development projects. Further, connecting the North and South Slave electrical systems will create a stable, drought-resistant and accessible source of power that will supply ten Northwest Territories communities, representing over 70 per cent of the territory's population.
Future phases of the project will include additional expansion of Taltson to provide up to 200 megawatts of new power. There are no estimated timeframes for future phases of the Taltson expansion project at this time.
2. Phase one of the project will result in an additional 60 megawatts of energy production, and will be achieved without any additional flooding.
3. The 60-megawatt Taltson expansion will displace 227 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually in the Northwest Territories by displacing diesel electrical generation with clean hydroelectricity. If an additional 200 megawatts of power is developed, it would result in approximately 750 kilotonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduced annually.
4. The current estimated cost for the expansion of the Taltson facility to 60 megawatts is approximately $500 million. This is an estimate based on design work previously completed, but will change as the Government of the Northwest Territories undertakes additional technical and engineering studies. The estimated cost of connecting the North and South Slave electricity systems across Great Slave Lake is currently being determined. There are no cost estimates for future phases of the Taltson expansion project at this time.
We look forward to working collaboratively with the federal government, Indigenous partners and the Members of the Legislative Assembly to better define our path forward on this transformative energy project. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.