The Yukon government has formally instructed the Yukon Development Corporation to start planning to build a new hydroelectric dam.
“A substantial increase in Yukon’s power supply will be necessary over time to foster responsible and sustainable economic development in the territory,” said Scott Kent, the minister responsible for the corporation, in a news release.
The government asked the development corporation to identify a new hydro project that will be sufficient to meet the anticipated growth in demand.
Interim Liberal Leader Sandy Silver asked in the legislature Thursday if a site has yet been picked for the new dam.
It has not, and it will be up to the Yukon Development Corporation to figure that out, replied Premier Darrell Pasloski.
Silver said that the government has dragged its heels on building new hydro, resulting in the current situation where the territory has no excess hydro power.
“We are at an energy cliff, because the Yukon Party spent a lot of time trying to sell our energy corporation instead of figuring out how to expand out hydro capacity.”
He also asked how the government plans to pay for it.
Kent replied that he expects at least some of the money will come from the federal government.