The Yukon Energy Corporation (YEC) is adding 12.85 megawatts of diesel generation capacity to Whitehorse, according to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) 2024-0103. This is an increase of 79 per cent over the current capacity. The public comment period is open now.
In 2019, YEC had proposed a new thermal energy plant in Whitehorse, and the response was overwhelmingly negative, causing YEC’s board to abandon the project. Failing to bring any significant renewables online, YEC has continued expanding “temporary” rental diesel, and is now moving to make it permanent.
YEC’s current permit for diesel-generated electricity for Whitehorse is for 16.15 MW, and the new assessment is for an increase to 29 MW. So instead of building a new diesel facility in Whitehorse, which was not supported, YEC is quietly expanding capacity at their current location, also rejected in 2019.
And when I say “quietly expanding” I do not mean that the generators will be quiet, as Riverdale residents know well. In this case, YEC is being quiet about the expansion, by hiding it in what they are calling a “renewal.” Is an increase of 12.85 MW a renewal? YEC claims they are “renewing” the expired authorization they had for “temporary rental diesel” starting in 2017 and expiring in 2022. An expansion of 5 MW or more requires an executive committee screening, providing a much more thorough assessment with more opportunity for public input. Since the “temporary” rental diesel had never been assessed under YESAB, adding more than 12 MW is clearly expansion and not a renewal.
The “temporary” rental diesel was not subject to assessment through YESAB at the time, because YEC took advantage of a provision of Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Act (YESAA) that was in the process of being rescinded by the federal government. So, not only did they fail to renew this temporary authorization when it expired, it was based on a now-rescinded provision of YESAA (49.1) that was “illegally put into law,” according to Larry Bagnell in his statement about it at the time, pointing out that it violated the Yukon First Nations Umbrella Final Agreement (UFA). The permit amendment for “temporary rental diesel” was issued a day after this provision allowing it had been rescinded. So yes, YEC is attempting to renew something that they got in violation of the UFA.
And now YEC is making “temporary rental diesel” a permanent fixture in Whitehorse. There is of course no difference between this permanent expansion and building the previously rejected diesel plant, other than calling it a “renewal”.
Despite calls for renewables, YEC has expanded diesel by 47.8 MW, including planned expansions at Dawson/Callison (15.5 MW), Whitehorse (12.85 MW), Faro (12.25 MW including proposed expansion) and Mayo (7.2 MW on a 4.9-MW permit).
Counting the capacity of renewable projects of over 2 MW, YEC has added 0 MW of new renewable dependable capacity. The last significant renewable project was Mayo B (hydro) in 2011.
So again, 47.8 MW of new diesel versus 0 MW of new renewables.
The public comment period for YESAB 2024-0103 Whitehorse Diesel Expansion (what YEC calls “Whitehorse Air Emissions Permit Renewal”) ends on Aug. 22. To comment, go to https://yesabregistry.ca and search on 2024-0103.
Nathaniel Yee
Faro
