After Infrastructure Minister Diane Archie spoke highly of a number of NWT energy initiatives in the legislative assembly on Thursday, Yellowknife North MLA Rylund Johnson verbally dismantled the territorial governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 energy strategy piece by piece.

SA国际影视传媒淚 think we need to be honest with the public that our energy future is looking pretty grim,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he reality is that our rates are going up, and people in the North will continue to pay the highest rates of power in Canada. None of the projects that the minister listed today are going to fix that, and I think that needs to be the starting point in this conversation.SA国际影视传媒�

Johnson noted that the NWT Power Corporation was subsidized by $15 million this year due to low water levels, which affects hydro power, and diesel costs being underestimated.

He was also critical of the governmentSA国际影视传媒檚 ability to build projects on time and on budget. The Inuvik Wind Project that Archie touted cost double its initial estimate, he pointed out.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat was a 3.5-megawatt project for $70 million. People down south are building wind projects at $2 million a megawatt,SA国际影视传媒� Johnson said, adding that itSA国际影视传媒檚 proved to be 10 times more expensive in Inuvik than in the south. SA国际影视传媒淭his shouldnSA国际影视传媒檛 be celebrated. This was one of the most, if not the most, expensive wind project everSA国际影视传媒� I get it is expensive in the North, and I get itSA国际影视传媒檚 hard to build. But with that project doubling in cost, the business case is very questionable, whether itSA国际影视传媒檚 saving those three million litres of diesel a year on a 20-year project SA国际影视传媒� thatSA国际影视传媒檚 the estimated life span of a wind turbine SA国际影视传媒� will actually pay itself off.SA国际影视传媒�

He also cited the Whati transmission line, which was supposed to be started in 2021 but is now estimated for completion in 2028. Yet the route and cost for that initiative remain unknown.

Likewise, the Fort Providence transmission line, originally targeted for completion in fall 2023 has now been pushed back to 2027.

SA国际影视传媒淚t is clear that it is well over budget, and the $60 million the feds initially gave us for that Fort Providence transmission line isnSA国际影视传媒檛 going to cut it. We have not been provided with an updated figure,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

The GNWT needs to level with Northerners that the affordability of some of the renewable energy projects coveted in the territory isnSA国际影视传媒檛 yet feasible, he suggested.

Taltson expansion criticism

The biggest project of them all, a 60-megawatt expansion in Taltson hydro generation, is also shrouded in mystery because SA国际影视传媒渢he minister refuses to tell us how much itSA国际影视传媒檚 going to cost,SA国际影视传媒� Johnson contended.

The cost estimate in 2014 was $1.2 billion. However, a proposed transmission line to the diamond mines is no longer on the table.

SA国际影视传媒淭he minister refuses to tell us what the cost of power will be sold out of Taltson and whoSA国际影视传媒檚 going to buy it, mostly importantly,SA国际影视传媒� Johnson said. SA国际影视传媒淲e need mines to buy it.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淭here is a complete lack of transparency from the department and the power corporation about whatSA国际影视传媒檚 going on with our energy future,SA国际影视传媒� he added.

He asked Archie whether the business case for Taltson expansion has been developed.

The minister said the work is still underway, but the business case has been shared with Indigenous groups.

SA国际影视传媒淯ntil we get further feedback from our working group and our steering group, whether we provide it to the public thatSA国际影视传媒檚 still yet to be determined. So right now, it is with the Indigenous groups,SA国际影视传媒� said Archie, who's also the minister responsible for the NWT Power Corp.

Johnson then expressed frustration that itSA国际影视传媒檚 not public information. He asked Archie to reveal how much the Taltson expansion will cost.

She described it as SA国际影视传媒渢he early stagesSA国际影视传媒� of the project and said the GNWT is using federal funding to work with Indigenous partners.

SA国际影视传媒淲e also need to look at things like, you know, exploring some business options,SA国际影视传媒� she said, adding that the next territorial government can decide which details to share publicly. SA国际影视传媒淩ight now itSA国际影视传媒檚 confidential with our partners.SA国际影视传媒�

Johnson said itSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒渃ompletely unreasonableSA国际影视传媒� not to know the cost associated with a project of this scale and who will consume all of the additional power.

Archie closed the discussion by stating that, SA国际影视传媒淵ou know, we still havenSA国际影视传媒檛 decided on what phase weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to work on. And I just want the member to know itSA国际影视传媒檚 a big-picture thinking. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 thinking about the future. You know, leveraging federal funding so that we could make life better for Northwest Territories residents.SA国际影视传媒�