Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I’ve got the blues, but I want to tell you why that’s a good thing. Today I want to talk about LEDs. LED stands for light emitting diode, and these lights offer a way to replace old-fashioned incandescent lightbulbs and less efficient light sources.
LEDs light up the lives of NWT residents every day at home, school, work and while travelling, from household lightbulbs, televisions and laptop computers to vehicles, streetlights, runway lights at the airport in Lutselk’e and even Christmas lights.
Yes, I’ve got the LED blues. Each of these lights uses a unique blue LED chip. This chip forms the base for LEDs of many different colours. That’s what makes these lights different from other bulbs. LEDs use as much as 80 percent less energy and last up to three times longer than fluorescent bulbs and 10 times longer than incandescent.
In our thermal communities, relying on diesel for electricity, this kind of energy efficiency is even more important for residents’ wallets and for community savings. It’s also better for the environment.
Since January 2014, federal regulations have seen retailers required to sell alternatives to incandescent bulbs, often fluorescent lights. But LEDs are still an efficient, sensible option. Unlike some fluorescent bulbs, LEDs have no mercury. If you’re interested in making a switch, rebates are available through the Arctic Energy Alliance for up to $200 for people in diesel communities.
At the community level, I know that communities across the Territories are replacing costly, low-efficient streetlights with LEDs. The NWT Power Corporation estimates that this will cut costs in half. Changing a few lightbulbs may seem like a small thing, but every little step you can conserve energy helps reduce the load on diesel generators in our communities. That means lower fuel consumption, lower cost and better outcomes for our environment.
Today I want to thank the Members’ families and communities that are already making the switch to LEDs, but I hope I can encourage anyone who is still hesitant to come down to the house of blue lights too. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
