The Government of the Northwest Territories has made a mandate commitment to implement the 2030 Energy Strategy. This includes renewable and alternative energy solutions and actions that the Government of the Northwest Territories and our partners will undertake to meet targets for greenhouse gas reductions in heating and power generation as well as our 10-year strategy for investing federal and other funds towards energy projects.

Later today I will table the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018, which provides an overview of the many energy initiatives completed last fiscal year by various government departments, Crown corporations, and partner agencies that support energy projects, programs, and services for our residents, communities, and Indigenous governments.

Our collaborative approach in these initiatives allows us to make the most of limited resources and to achieve many of our mandate commitments.

Last spring the Government of the Northwest Territories publicly released the 2030 Energy Strategy, along with the Climate Change Strategic Framework and the Northwest Territories Petroleum Resources Strategy. Together, these documents are defining our long-term vision and approach to energy and climate change and will enable the Northwest Territories to transition to a strong, healthy economy that is less dependent on fossil fuels.

The 2017-2018 Energy Initiatives Report supports the strategic objectives outlined in these three documents, which, Mr. Speaker, is a reassurance that we are on the right path.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight some of the noteworthy accomplishments in the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018, and begin by sharing some of the projects that we advanced in the Government of the Northwest Territories' mandate commitment to continue to develop and advance initiatives to displace diesel generation in the Northwest Territories, including biomass energy projects.

The Government of the Northwest Territories installed a biomass boiler at Ecole Allain St-Cyr School, which I toured earlier today. This system will meet nearly 100 percent of the heating needs of the school. The system will save 115,000 litres of diesel, or about $130,000, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 306 tonnes per year. The Government of the Northwest Territories also installed a 950-kilowatt biomass boiler at East Three School in Inuvik, making that school the first GNWT asset in the Beaufort-Delta to install biomass heating. This system will offset 270,000 litres of propane or the equivalent of 410 tonnes of carbon dioxide. It will also provide an annual savings of close to $370,000.

Last year, we also marked the 10^th anniversary of the Government of the Northwest Territories' Capital Asset Retrofit Fund, also known as CARF. As Members know, this program uses money saved through energy efficiency improvements to government buildings to further fund improvements. Over the last decade, CARF-supported initiatives that have effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the Government of the Northwest Territories assets by over 10,000 tonnes annually and have displaced the equivalent of 27 million litres of diesel fuel since the program's inception, representing a nearly 24 percent reduction in annual emissions.

Mr. Speaker, our government is also fulfilling our mandate commitment to displace diesel generation through wind energy projects, including the proposed Inuvik High Point Wind Project, and assessing the feasibility of wind energy projects in other communities or regions.

The Government of the Northwest Territories is undertaking wind monitoring in Sachs Harbour to better understand wind resource potential in the High Arctic. We are also undertaking wind monitoring and data collection in Norman Wells, and collecting water flow information that could lead to a community-scale hydro project in partnership with the community of Gameti.

In 2017-2018, work continued on the Inuvik Wind Project as part of the 2030 Energy Strategy targeted to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from diesel electricity by 25 percent by the year 2030. To support this project, the Government of the Northwest Territories has undertaken community outreach, including a Traditional Knowledge and Land Use Workshop in Inuvik with Gwich'in and Inuvialuit elders, land users, and youth.

Mr. Speaker, looking forward, other strategic energy initiatives are taking place. For the first time, we have secured a long-term commitment from our federal partners to invest in energy infrastructure projects and incentive programs that are tailored to advance our policy objectives and deliver on mandate commitments.

This past March, the federal government committed to fund the Government of the Northwest Territories with more than $570 million over the next 10 years under the Investing in Canada Plan. Approximately $350 million of that commitment will support the 2030 Energy Strategy and Energy Action Plan. Notable projects for which the Government of the Northwest Territories submitted applications under the agreement include the mega-size wind turbine project in Inuvik, overhauls to the aging Snare hydro system. We look forward to providing Members with further updates on these projects in the very near future.

Earlier this month, we also signed a $23 million funding agreement as part of the federal Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. Part of this funding is being used to increase the Arctic Energy Alliance funding by approximately $9 million over four years.

Remaining funds will be used to support the new government Greenhouse Gas Grant Program, which was announced earlier this month and will provide up to $1.8 million in grants per year for community governments to undertake greenhouse gas reduction projects.

Mr. Speaker, the Energy Initiatives Report 2017-2018 is an excellent reference for those interested in learning how the Government of the Northwest Territories has linked broad policy objectives to community projects and to programs across the Northwest Territories over the last year and how it is helping the 18^th Legislative Assembly fulfill mandate commitments.

Looking forward, we are focused on leveraging the significant federal investment that we have secured to advance and fulfill our mandate commitments, reducing our infrastructure gap, and ultimately improving the sustainability of our communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.