April 17, 2012 – A study looking into the most effective ways of saving electricity in The Yukon has concluded that between 32% and 48% of new power consumption can be met by electricity conservation and efficiency programs.

Yukon Energy, the Yukon Electrical Co. Ltd. and The Yukon government’s Department of Energy, Mines & Resources engaged energy firm ICF Marbek to do the research and prepare a report. The study included residential households, and commercial and government sectors, and collected information about how people use electricity in the territory, and where the greatest gains might be found in terms of electricity conservation and efficiencies. (Large industrial customers are being addressed separately.)

The study finds that, without any energy conservation and efficiency programs, the territory’s total electricity consumption is expected to increase by about 65% by 2030. It expects the total peak load to grow to about 107 MW (compared with the current peak load of just over 80 MW) within that same timeframe.

“With the kind of growth anticipated over the next couple of decades, conservation must be an integral part of the territory’s electricity supply options,” said Yukon Energy president David Morrison. “Every megawatt of power that can be saved is a megawatt that we don’t have to build. Energy efficiencies and conservation are among Yukon’s best options for ensuring a secure energy future.”

The review suggests that, for residences, the most significant savings can come through adopting changes in technology related to space heating (building envelope), domestic hot water, clothes dryers and standby loads in electronics (computers, televisions and other home entertainment devices).

For commercial and government buildings, the best savings opportunities will be through improved indoor lighting and space heating.

“Yukon Electrical sees electricity conservation as just one of the resources that will be a part of the electrical supply solution in the territory,” said Dwight Redden, Yukon Electrical’s general manager. “We are working closely with the government of the Yukon and Yukon Energy toward presenting a balanced set of conservation plans and programs to the residential and commercial sectors to achieve new supply through conservation.”

The study recommends that The Yukon proceed with developing energy conservation and efficiency programs in a collaborative manner that makes the best use of territorial resources.