Floyd Roland

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the project will be paid for by the power purchase agreements, the sale of energy to the mines. That’s how it’s going to be paid for. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the project is indeed based on the business model of a partnership. The partnership of Deze Corporation is made up of our NWT Energy Corporation No. 3, the Akaitcho Energy Corporation and the Metis Energy Company that make up the one-third partners on this project. We have, as the GNWT, over a number of years invested, through the Power Corporation, in the neighbourhood of $13 million, I believe it is, up to this year in getting ready for the environmental phase that we’re in the closing of and that business modelling that was prepared and getting the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of the recent study that was done and I would have to get the information from the appropriate department. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, as a result of the environmental review process, additional routing is being looked at, and that’s to incorporate the concerns raised by the Lutselk'e band when it comes to especially the area of the Lockhart River and the importance that river is held in by that band. So there is alternate routing looked at in that area still along the East Arm to try and deal with that and still get power through the process.

Right now, if we were to talk in today’s business case, there are no other potential customers except existing customers. There are future potential customers that could be...

Over the years the Power Corporation has tried to stabilize its costs and has structured billing payment plans with offices throughout the NWT and communities. I will get the appropriate information. I know that the Power Corporation, as well as the annual report gets tabled in this Assembly, that that could be looked at and the corporate plan as well. I’d have to go to the board and get that information and provide that to the Members.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the GNWT, through the Hydro Corporation and more specifically the NWT Energy Corporation No. 3, that is a partner at the discussions and the Deze partnership. It is through that involvement that we’re involved and, again, our relationship through the Minister responsible to the Hydro Corp exists through that avenue. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe there is a policy that is used by the Power Corporation. I will have to get that and provide that to the Member.

The city of Yellowknife and the surrounding area served by it, hydro facilities up to the city of Yellowknife over 70 percent is served by hydro. We have to run the diesels from time to time to offset some of the outages and the high demand times. The fact is if we were to build this project purely on the existing rate base, it is unaffordable. We could not pass that extra cost on to the individuals.

The Member spoke about Avalon. We would like to see that development occur. The issue is, at six cents per kilowatt hour we’re unable to develop any new extension of our facilities at that cost. We...

As the Government of the Northwest Territories we are keenly interested in working with partnerships out there and expanding our hydro, for example. I think the Member can, although we said earlier that he has spoken on a number of occasions around the Hydro Strategy and alternative energies and has not seen any fruition, I would say, to take a little bit of claim here. We over the next number of years are going to invest $60 million in alternative energies, run-of-the-river technology. So we’re starting to move in that direction. It is a slow process, granted, but we are in fact moving in...

The interests are being represented, one, to help growth of the Northwest Territories through an economically viable project. Members have already said on a number of occasions that we do not want a repeat of where we are guaranteeing or backstopping and having to put additional dollars at risk. This model is based purely on the business-case scenario.

What I think I’m starting to hear is that, well, as a government maybe we should step in and put more involvement from the government side. That is a different scenario altogether. It’s been based on a business case. It’s been built on building...