Low water in N.W.T. means less hydro power, more use of diesel generators
CBC
A drop in water levels in the southern N.W.T. means hydro generators are producing less electricity for Yellowknife and its surrounding area — and diesel generators are helping to meet the need.
"Unfortunately, water levels continue to be well below average, which does require us to run diesel generators to make up the power necessary to meet the demand," said Doug Prendergast, the manager of communications for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC).
Prendergast said diesel generators are more costly, and produce greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydro generators are typically used to provide nearly all the electricity to Yellowknife, Behchoko and Dettah. In a year with more average water levels, hydro would provide 95 to 98 per cent of power to the areas.
But this year hydro generators are producing only 55 per cent of the region's electrical power, with diesel generators producing the rest.
Low water at the hydroelectric facilities was evident in June, when the N.W.T. government spent $15 million in part to help keep the cost of electricity low for residents, as using diesel generators is more expensive.
The drop in water levels is attributed to the intense heat last year as well as this year, according to Ryan Connon, a hydrologist with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
"Extreme hot conditions have led to a lot of evaporation. There's not a lot of water to move to the rivers, and there's also very little precipitation," he said.
Yellowknife gets most of its power from the Snare Hydro system, which includes four hydro generating plants located on the Snare River. Yellowknife also receives some power from Bluefish Hydro.
Prendergast said that NTPC has a reserve connected to the Snare River, and they take water from the reserve when the flow from the Snare River is too low.
He said right now the amount of water flowing into the reserve is a third of what it would normally be in any given year.
He said that the corporation is continuing to track the snow melt and rainfall to help predict what the future could look like for the hydroelectric facilities.
Another N.W.T. hydro generation facility is also not currently operating and is relying on diesel generators.
The Taltson hydro dam is the primary power provider for the South Slave region — providing power to Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Hay River, Enterprise and the Kátł'odeeche First Nation.
Seven years into an early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Sandra Demontigny's home is full of reminders.
A blizzard gusting across southern Manitoba is leaving a long list of highway and school closures.
While a blizzard threatened outside, Saskatoon city council endured an icy blast inside city hall from a Riversdale business leader over its homeless initiatives.
This is a story about fire, faith and marshmallows.
Alberta’s population bucked the trend that almost every other Canadian province and territory experienced last quarter, Statistics Canada population estimates suggest.
A U.S. judge on Wednesday blocked Michigan from enforcing a 2020 order to shut down Enbridge's Line 5 oil pipeline running beneath a channel linking two of the Great Lakes, ruling that pipeline safety is a federal responsibility.
When retired RCMP constable Jason Hydamacka heard the news that the insurance money for his amputated leg was coming, he sat in his truck and cried.
As Neskantaga First Nation’s youngest band councillor, Lashaunda Waswa says she wants to inspire the next generation to protect the community’s land, water and wildlife.
Toronto has seen a drop in crime rates across the city, but its police chief says youth crime rates continue to be a cause for concern.
Cambridge council has voted to request a pedestrian safety review of Cedar Street from the region after two back-to-back collisions last week, one of which killed a three-year-old girl.
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation has received a $1-million donation to create an endowment fund that it will use to upgrade common areas at the Charlottetown hospital.
A new study by the Center for European Policy Analysis suggests Russia and China are pulling ahead of NATO nations, including Canada, in the race to develop and field drones capable of operating in harsh Arctic conditions.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says U.S. President Donald Trump hasn't given him any indication that he's willing to walk away from the North American free trade deal that was struck during his first term at the White House.