Debates of June 8, 2006 (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the past week or so I read in the papers and I also received the information from the Minister of Justice, the Honourable Brendan Bell, on this wood pellet initiative that the department is doing in terms of reducing or looking at energy, effective methods to use in the government institutions. I wanted to ask the Minister in terms of what are the long-term goals, I guess, of this wood pellet initiative that’s being used at the facility by the Department of Justice? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Justice, Mr. Bell.

Return To Question 96-15(5): Wood Pellet Boiler System Pilot Project For North Slave Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the facility was originally conceived and constructed, the plans called for three oil-fired boilers. We only installed two at that time and there’s been a need for a backup since. In order to address this, we’ve been working with Public Works and we came up with a cost estimate of $225,000, which was in the capital plan. We found another way around that, Mr. Speaker, and that was to enter into a contract with Arctic Green Energy and to provide heat to the facility using a wood pellet boiler system. So we’re testing this out. It is a bit of a pilot. It’s not going to cost us money in terms of upfront capital. We will be charged by the amount of energy used and if this pilot is successful, I think it’s probably something that we’ll want to look at using in other facilities. Obviously, it cuts down on our emissions, it’s great for the environment and we think we can save money using it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 96-15(5): Wood Pellet Boiler System Pilot Project For North Slave Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to the final results and how much energy we, as a government, are going to save in this facility and what other facilities in the Northwest Territories, and maybe under the government as a whole that’s going to implement such a system if it’s beneficial to the people. I’d like to ask the Minister in terms of supplying this new device here or this device that they’re using to the correctional facility, these wood pellets, can they make these in the Northwest Territories so we could have northern suppliers maybe south of the lake or around the lake here that has some forestry product industries that could use it at the facility? Staying north here. So I’d like to ask the Minister on that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 96-15(5): Wood Pellet Boiler System Pilot Project For North Slave Correctional Centre

Mr. Speaker, it’s a good suggestion and potentially if somebody out there is interested in entering into this business, wanted to provide wood pellets and could do it in a cost effective manner, obviously we’d be very interested in looking at that. I assume you’re talking about the pellets as opposed to the construction of the boilers, yes. So, Mr. Speaker, if such a supply is available in the NWT, we’ll certainly consider it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. Final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 96-15(5): Wood Pellet Boiler System Pilot Project For North Slave Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I followed the Department of Justice on this initiative because I think it’s ground breaking, I think it’s the way to go in terms of our larger institutions down the Mackenzie Valley, down the Deh Cho and right down the whole Northwest Territories that this department can be the guiding light, I guess, to the other departments, I guess, in terms of looking at large facilities that have institutions like this that could use wood pellets and get the people in the Northwest Territories to start supplying wood pellets. So I guess I wanted to ask, would the Minister given the signal to the people out there who are listening who may be interested in wood pellets and supplying wood pellets to this type of institution, what…(inaudible)…that says yes, let’s approach the Minister and his department. Right now, I understand this is in the baby stages of trying it out. When can the people feel some level of comfort and come to the Minister and make some deals in terms of how to best supply the northern pellet furnaces? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Bell.

Further Return To Question 96-15(5): Wood Pellet Boiler System Pilot Project For North Slave Correctional Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The boiler will be installed and operational, we believe, by April 1st. Then we will test it and we will know much more then. Obviously there are a number of institutional around the North, not only in our departments but in others. I know the folks at Public Works are very excited about testing this technology. I think if it’s successful and saves us money, it’s certainly something we will consider across our other facilities.

Mr. Speaker, if there are people in any of the regions that are putting together business plans, have initiatives that would look at alternative energy or renewable energy, that’s something we want to talk about. So I would certainly encourage them to approach our regional people and we will take it from there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.