Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I would be I'll be very concerned if this government continues to push and then actually apply for the road while the regional study's going on. I just don't think that's a good idea. The whole idea of a regional study is to actually allow some time to carefully consider the future of the area. So proceeding with regulatory applications, getting into an environmental assessment while that is on, not a good idea. So does this what's the position of this government on proceeding with that and getting it into permitting/licensing and possibly a separate EA, environmental assessment, while the regional study is on? I don't think that's a good idea. Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, some of the information that we're going to collect will help inform some of the applications that's going forward. Thanks.
Thank you. Member.
Yeah, thanks, Madam Chair. I don't object in principle to gathering data and information. I just don't think you want to trigger an environmental assessment by submitting land use permit/water licenses while the regional study's on. So I want to know if that's what this government is going to do? Thanks, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, I'm going to ask Mr. Jenkins to speak a little bit more about that.
Mr. Jenkins.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. So, yes, the RSCA has been approved by the federal minister to be undertaken. One of the things that the federal minister did mention was that things in other applications need to be able to continue while this process is underway and be informed. And we're collecting a multitude of information that will help actually be used in the RSCA and contribute to the outcomes there. But we do have $40 million to advance the application for the Lockhart AllSeason Road. That is money that needs to be utilized up to 2027. And we feel that we could continue with that process while the RCA is underway and be informed as those processes move together. Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Questions to energy and strategic initiatives? Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Madam Chair. I actually had a lot of really excited people talking about the ebicycle rebate and the Minister's announcement that they were expanding that to other regions outside of just Yellowknife. So my question there is will the $10,000 be enough now? Are we actually going to add more money in given that we've expanded the area of eligible people. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, you know, in previous budget, we didn't have a line item for electrical vehicles. I've heard from the Members that, you know, this is of interest here in the Northwest Territories so we added a line. Actually we're calling it a pilot project. So this year, although it's only $10,000, it might not be enough but it's a pilot; it's a test. We will be able to assess it and perhaps if we have a good uptake, then perhaps we can set aside more money next year. And, actually, I think the amount for next year is a bit higher so, you know, we are working with what we have. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you. And I do recognize this is, like, a tiny amount, a drop in the hat of this department's budget. But, you know, every, you know, new journey is taken with the first step. So this is a start. And I do appreciate that, you know, it did sound like if there's more than the $10,000 that is wanted that we would perhaps be looking to add money here so that's great.
I just wanted to ask a bit about around the Arctic Energy Alliance. It always noted and sort of touted as being the solution of getting money out the door, etcetera. And, you know, I'm always in support of NGOs doing work because I think that they often are more creative and efficient than the government can be in doing that. But that being said, I look at the board of directors for Arctic Energy Alliance and it is all, for the most part, Government of the Northwest Territories employees, public utilities employees, Northlands, things like that. So I have a lot of concern, given the conversation we've had around deputy ministers on boards, that perhaps this, again, is an area where while this is an NGO, the government is very heavily directing what happens here. That being said, then I wonder if there's perhaps opportunities for this to now start being put into more of the communities' hands. And I recognize there are employees within Arctic Energy Alliance that are representative to the different regions and I think that's great. So can the Minister or the department speak to the ability of Arctic Energy Alliance to actually execute? Do they always spend their money when they're given it, and what is the plan to diversify the board here and really stop having it be government directed? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, although Arctic Energy Alliance is arm's length, we do work in good partnership. You know, there's a lot of great things that the Arctic Energy Alliance are doing on behalf of the Government of the Northwest Territories. And, you know, they have we're starting to expand different things and the people that are at the table are, you know are people that provide good advice to the board. If I can have Mr. Jenkins just speak a little bit more to that, thanks.
Yes. Mr. Jenkins.
Thank you, Madam Chair. So our partnership with Arctic Energy Alliance is a really important one under our 2030 Energy Strategy. And in 20212022, they did invest about $4.5 million of GNWT funding into a number of energy audits and rebates and retrofits and wood stoves and other things like that. $1.8 million of that was rebates and incentives. So one of the things that we constantly look at with Arctic Energy Alliance, and talk to them about, is it is applicationbased and how can we try to remove, if there are, any barriers to uptake on those programs. So that's a key piece of delivery and spending the money that they've received. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member, do you have
Thank you, Madam Chair. Yeah, I understand what you're saying but nothing was responded to about the fact that this is a directed by government people. So when I hear that it's arm's length, I have to kind of laugh at how arm's length is it when you're just putting money over in a pot that's then directed and controlled by people that also work for the government. When I hear that it's because these people from the Minister, that it's because these people can offer advice, well, I can right now think of someone in your riding, Madam Chair, that would be an amazing technical advisor to a group like Arctic Energy Alliance. And given, though, that history of what goes on sometimes with this department, these types of people are not interested in being part of this work and I think that's a mistake, and I think it's a loss of good input here. The private sector, to me, is completely missing from Arctic Energy Alliance's board. And to me, that's just I don't know even know what to say about that. So maybe I'll just leave it at that. I don't feel that my question was answered about their efficiencies and how much they spend their money and how well they do it. But the other piece to that, actually I will add is that, you know, again, this is Arctic Energy Alliance's programs are often for people that are living in Yellowknife, that have a lot of money, that have good paying jobs. It's not for people that are living paycheque to paycheque. I do recognize there was some money that's put aside to help people offset the money that has to be put up upfront but, really, this program is designed for nonIndigenous people living in Yellowknife, is my opinion.
Moving forward, I would like to talk a little bit about some of these projects that are here that are very small but I think could be quite effective in, you know, getting some money out. And things around like the biomass energy projects, there's only $100,000 there. You know, there's community sorry, commercial energy conservation efficiency program, only $200,000 there.
You know, if we really want to get smart with having our communities and our businesses become energy efficient, we need to put the money in their hands. And this doesn't seem like enough. And so could the Minister or the department speak to what their thoughts are on whether this is these are subscribed funds, do they need to be increased, could we be putting more money there? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the you know, there's perhaps never enough money out there for any type of assistance. But, I mean, we are working with the federal government in partnership with the Arctic Energy Alliance to be able to look at what sort of federal programs are out there so that we can look at perhaps adding more programs into the alliance.
And I do just going back a little bit, Madam Chair, so we had about 2,716 rebates. And I'm looking at all the different regions and, for example, the Beaufort Delta was the second highest at 644 rebates. So, I mean, all the different regions has a fair share of rebates. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, I stand corrected. But then I still don't see that that's probably making its way into places to like Tulita or Fort Liard or places as that. So I will get myself more informed on where the money is being spent. But, again, I still stand behind that it is a program that is accessed by people that have disposal income to upgrade their homes and not by people that probably desperately need their homes upgraded and need the rebate on their energy.
My last or sort of my next area of question is around the electrical vehicle charging stations, and sorry if somebody already asked this. But I'm interested to know there's sort of this idea of a corridor and such. And so will the eventual plan be to have this if we could have the Mackenzie Valley built and all that, is that basically any highway in the Northwest Territories would have stations along it and that we would be sort of promoting people to come from the south to use those? Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, that's the intent of having the electrical vehicle. The study says that the charging corridor would be set up on Highways No. 1 and No. 3 from Yellowknife to the Alberta border. That's our kind of big picture right now, Madam Chair. So we're hoping that some of the stations could be placed along the way to Fort Smith. So, I mean, this is a bigger picture. We are working on smaller little parts of this. You know, having said that, these don't happen over night but this is the bigger picture for us. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Great Slave.
Luckily, with a minute left. That's appreciated. All right, Aurora Research Institute's Energy Project, it's only at 70. You know, again, I want to sorry, I'm just looking to make sure I know where I'm talking about here.
So the wind potential. Has there been any sort of new areas of interest where we are looking at potentially bringing in wind? I always hear very anecdotally that the wind is picking up here in Yellowknife and such. I mean, whether that's true or not, I'm not sure but it sure feels very cold so and fast and hard. So I'm wondering if there's a potential for that in other areas that we haven't looked at yet before now. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, you know, we have targets to meet within reducing greenhouse gas emissions. So, I mean, we as a department, we as a government, are looking at, you know, innovative ways to be able to reduce that. And if I can have Mr. Jenkins speak a little bit more about some of the things that we are doing and looking forward to. Thanks.
Thank you. Mr. Jenkins.
Yeah, thank you, Madam Chair. So the Aurora Research Institute, so they are coordinating the installation and monitoring data gathering equipment for wind potential. And the funding is going towards wind monitoring through groundbased lidar units. We did do some work previously in Norman Wells and Sachs, and the wind conditions weren't conducive to establishing power generation sites at those locations. Unfortunately, I don't have a list of the sites prospective sites the lidar was looking at so we will have to return with that. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Are there any further questions from Members under energy and strategic initiatives? Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. This transmission Whati line, it's 125. I mean, like that was 20212022 and there's nothing to date. So this tells me that project the study must have been completed. Can we get an update on this? Like, you don't have to update us now but maybe send me a send an email regarding this project.
Thank you. Minister.
So thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, as part of the consultation engagement and planning activities for this Whati Transmission Line, Department of Infrastructure provided funding to the Tlicho government to begin updating the existing technical work, the work plan, and the traditional knowledge study. So this is although this is early stage of the work, it's still underway to be completed by the 20222023fiscal year. Madam Chair, we are also working with Tlicho on many other projects. And this is good government to government working relationship and partnership. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you for the answer there. Yes, because a while ago I did propose I did ask about if there was another study to be done going from Yellowknife to Whati on the highway because I think I'm just wondering if there was a study done for that project before or, like, an alternative route?
Thank you. Minister.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, the highway goes northsouth and the routing for this is going eastwest so, I mean, it really doesn't line up. But I'm going to have the Mr. Jenkins just speak a little bit more because, I mean, he's got a little bit more technical knowledge. I just know that road's going this way and that transmission's going that way, and that don't line up, so. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Mr. Jenkins.
Yes, thank you, Madam Chair. So this is a 60kilometre transmission line, and it's connecting to the existing facilities at Snare Hydro. And so, really, again, as the Minister mentioned, the highway's going northsouth and quite a ways west of that, of those facilities. So it really doesn't sort of pair well in terms of, you know, connecting the Snare Hydro System to the community of Whati. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Thank you. Thank you. No, the reason why I asked is that because I know there's a lot of cabin on the highway, and people have been inquiring about that too as well, because I know this if the power line goes through, then people will benefit from them. So that way they can live there year round and they can you know, it's part of their traditional culture as well that they do lots of things on the highway that, you know so that's why I ask if there was a study done. But I do understand about the Whati Transmission Line going across, you know. And another one too is that Gameti was asking as well and just wondering if there was any study was done from going from Gameti I mean, from Whati to Gameti to extend that transmission line?
Thank you, Member. Just please remember to address your questions and so that the sound so we know when you end. Minister.
Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, in Gameti, we are not looking at a transmission line however we are working at looking at perhaps a mini hydro. Thank you.
Thank you. Member for Monfwi.
Yeah, well, I wasn't aware of that mini hydro in Gameti. But if they do have some of these studies, these reports, it would be nice if they can share it with us. Thank you.
Thank you. Minister.
