Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll let the deputy minister answer that.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm not quite sure what line item -- it was energy efficiency analysis that was referred to, but we do our own in-house energy efficiency analysis through our staff on government-owned buildings and energy efficiency analysis is done to commercial businesses and to residents in the northwest territories. It's provided through the Arctic Energy Alliance, so there would be some funding in that $3.5 million for them to do that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. My apologies if I misspoke. I was speaking to energy research and analysis, $440,000, which is right beneath the $3.5 million for energy programs and policy development on page 388. So the description is renewable energy, monitoring data collection and testing. So that $440,000, is that also contribution to the Arctic Energy Alliance? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The breakdown for that $440,000 is for: the energy research and analysis, it's for the Aklavik variable speed generator $300,000; it's for wind monitoring $40,000; and hydrology monitoring and forecasting in the North Slave Region at $100,000. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. Testart.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Is that in-house monitoring then? Who's actually doing the research and analysis in this case? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Testart. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So some of that work would either be done in-house or be done through contract services, not necessary by the Arctic Energy Alliance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. Testart. I see nothing further from Mr. Testart. Do I have any more comments, questions from anybody? Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. In the Minister's opening remarks she talks about $3.5 million contribution Arctic Energy Alliance. I think I know where to look for that on this page. There's also a $760,000 one-time enhancement. Is that located on this page or where would we find that? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The $720,000 for the low water is included in the $3.5 million figure. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Yes, I wasn't asking about the low-water level, I was asking about the Minister's opening remarks, and there was a one-time enhancement to Arctic Energy Alliance to support residential and commercial energy conservation and efficiency programs. So just wondering where that shows up in the departmental budget. Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that one-time funding, the $750,000 is in the $3.5 million I spoke to, it's in that line item on page 388 under energy programs, policy and development. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Can the department explain how this one-time enhancement came about? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That was a transfer from the low-water monies that was incurred in the two years prior to this Assembly, thank you, and it was transferred to Arctic Energy Alliance. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the answer. So to just put that maybe in plain language: the money that's used to subsidize the diesel costs associated with low water levels, part of that extra funding was used so we could build capacity in the renewable side of things so that we wouldn't to keep, hopefully, paying money for diesel? Is that correct? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you. I'll let Paul answer that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister Cochrane. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Yes, that funding was allocated as part of the previously approved funding with last the government for low water to enhance the existing programs Arctic Energy Alliance has, and those are things like the commercial energy retrofit, homeowner retrofit, the rebate programs and all those things to help residents reduce their energy costs. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the answer, and it's the policy direction I certainly want to go in. Is this something that the department's going to continue because we just had the North Slave resiliency study that actually recommended against doing this. So what direction is the department going to go in with this? Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The funds that are provided to the Arctic Energy Alliance are for all the communities throughout the Northwest Territories, not only the Yellowknife area. The bigger thing that should be noted is that we will be doing a new energy plan, and within that plan we'll be identifying for future years the direction of the department and where we should be going in the expenditures and revenues, that we'd be looking within that. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Minister. Mr. O'Reilly.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I think I made my points. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. O'Reilly. Anything further to pages 388 and 389? Mr. McNeely.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. On the bottom of the list of programs there there's Yellowknife LNG Plant Feasibility. The way I read it, there was a project undertaken in 2014-15 year, carried over, probably did some finishing and some wrapping up there, that's why there's less funding for 2015-16. And I assume that study is completed. What's going to happen with that project now or potential project after the feasibility study? Is it feasible or not or is it a one-time project and now it's done? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. McNeely. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. That study that we did, that was a one-time funding project to look at that option. And, in fact, we did expand it to include things like biomasses. Well, part of the issue with LNG for Yellowknife is the long supply chain and the cost. But we did complete that report and that will feed into the planning for the lifecycle replacement of the corporations' assets in Yellowknife. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. McNeely. Nothing further from Mr. McNeely. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Under page 389, we indicate there the electric vehicle, which was funding for the Arctic Energy Alliance to undertake an electric vehicle demonstration. As referred to earlier, the resiliency study, it didn't really indicate in there any kind of positive favouring with regard to promoting electric cars. I'm wondering if the department can maybe explain, you know, what were the outcomes from that vehicle demonstration and why wouldn't it be something that we would want to consider going forward?
I see two positives with it generally, unless I can be told otherwise. But one is that this is obviously an initiative that would get the territory off of fuel, and also this would potentially be a revenue-generating source by selling, you know, power for electrical vehicles. I wonder if the Department could please comment on that demonstration? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Mr. Guy.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The electrical vehicle study was funded as an energy initiative prior to the consolidation in Public Works and Services. Arctic Energy Alliance is provided one-time funding to do that work. They completed their report and the results were positive, they'll be publishing the report shortly on their website.
At the end of their study we acquired the vehicle at the Department of Public Works and we put it into our fleet to take the place of another fleet vehicle. We're doing an analysis on it now to see what the opportunities of using that type of technology in a fleet environment. As we move forward on the Energy Plan that the Minister has spoken to, we will be looking at opportunities to see if this technology can become of our future energy planning and see if we can use those type of vehicles to expand the rate base. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Guy. Mr. Vanthuyne.
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to Mr. Guy for his reply. And that's encouraging to hear, that the department is going to give further consideration and possibly incorporate these vehicles into their fleet. I think it's important that we lead by example. And so certainly, if this is a doable opportunity, then we certainly want to take advantage. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Vanthuyne. Would the Minister like to comment?
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The electric car is really exciting for all of us. If it was less than $400, then you would see one in the parking lot of mine as well. So thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Anything further, Mr. Vanthuyne.
No, thank you.
