July 22, 2020 – A new electricity purchase agreement for a renewable energy project was signed under the Government of Yukon’s Independent Power Production policy’s Standing Offer Program.

The agreement between Yukon Energy and Solvest Inc. commits the utility to purchase the renewable electricity generated by the company’s proposed solar project on the North Klondike Highway for the next 25 years.

Solvest’s 1-MW project is the first large-scale solar project in the Whitehorse area, says the government, and the second independent power producer to sign an electricity purchase agreement in Yukon.

The additional source of renewable electricity will help offset Yukon Energy’s use of diesel and liquefied natural gas, says the utility, particularly between the months of April and June each year when the amount of solar energy generated by Solvest’s solar array is expected to be the greatest.

Once constructed, Solvest’s solar array will be the largest operating in the territory. It will generate about 1.84-GWh of electricity annually. Construction is slated to begin in August and completed in November 2020.

“Yukon Energy is committed to renewables,” said Andrew Hall, Yukon Energy Corp. president & CEO. “By 2030, our goal is to have more than 97% of the electricity generated on the Yukon grid, on average, to come from renewable sources.”