Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Most Northerners are already aware of the cost of maintaining heaters and transporting fuel especially to small and remote communities is incredibly costly. Sachs Harbour in particular experience the largest cost of producing heat. This is why I am continuously surprised at why places such as Sachs Harbour do not have an excess heat recovery system in place.
In the past, the community of Sachs Harbour tried to maximize the waste energy such as used oil to generate heat. Unfortunately these initiatives have not been implemented well for a number of reasons.
When it comes to extracting heat from currently existing systems and technologies such as the community power generation facility, there should be no obstacles. If this government is seriously thinking about reducing greenhouse gases and implementing long-term plans to reduce our dependency on fossil fuel to generate heat, this government has no choice but to implement measures such as these.
Sachs Harbour can use thousands of dollars’ worth of fuel in one winter month to heat the facility. Due to the numbers, I cannot see this project not being economically feasible. Other communities that have had residual heat programs have for years had thousands of dollars per year savings. This technology has been around for decades in many NWT communities, so why not Nunakput communities? They have the highest operating costs. If the excess heat can provide heating for more than one facility then the cost of recovery for heat equalizes quickly.
Places such as Whati, Fort McPherson and Inuvik already have buildings near the Power Corporation with residual heat. Tsiigehtchic, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard are evaluating similar systems. The previous president and CEO of the NWT Power Corporation assured the government that it’s a proven technology. This government must place these alternate energy resources to places that make the most economic sense and not places that have the least amount of administration and logistical coordinating. Small and remote communities deserve their fair share as well.
I will have questions for the Minister at the appropriate time.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
