Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a return to oral question from March 29th, 2021, in which the Minister stated that they're currently developing their own threeyear energy action plan to be released in the spring. The plan would include, you know, costeffective residential biomass system investments in other NWT communities.
Mr. Speaker, I've grown cobwebs waiting for the report. This is really I'm just wondering from the Minister, because they were working on it and currently developing, it said at that time, why nothing was progressed on this file at all? Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Minister responsible for Northwest Territories Housing Corporation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Member's comments as well too that, you know, the Housing Corporation building and energy efficiency is quite important and we look at those new builds going forward and making sure that the areas where we could see improvement. The energy the energy plan is to be just a second, I have a our energy plan is to be presented to the standing committee in the spring of this year, 2022. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at that time we were specifically talking about wood pellet boiler systems for Housing Corporation units in the outlying communities as a possible way for savings through the fuel bills and the bottom line for the budget of the GNWT. And I really hope this energy plan, as I stated before housing is always referencing repairs for efficiencies, like sealing doors and fixing broken windows, but this one here I wanted it to be a wood pellet boiler energy action plan. I'm wondering if the Minister would commit to that. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I appreciate the Member as well too because he's putting a lot of emphasis on the wood pellet boiler system as well. But like I had said before is that I'm not too sure for the supply, that I need to bring this back to the department. The question was asked earlier this week, and looking at where we would be able to provide this service and also looking at education and training, maintenance of that system as well too.
One of the things that the corporation has looked at was the biomass projects as well too, and to date we have 53 units that we had advanced here in Yellowknife and looking forward to be working in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure on completing those projects. Correction, they were actually they were actually completed this year. It's eight units at Sissons Court here in Yellowknife, and that was a project that was completed with the Department of Infrastructure. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. As I stated too last week that I was very impressed with the values and vision of the corporation and where they got innovation, and I was kind of excited about that, because they continue to you know, they strive to improve. They're creative, adaptable, and flexible. Some of that stuff is leading well to the energy the wood pellet boiler energy plan. And I also stated about the contract services, Mr. Speaker. We can to encourage these contract services to the LHOs, you know, the department could consider contracting out these services so the contractor would purchase, install, and maintain those wood pellet boiler systems, which relieves the NWT Housing Corporation of any maintenance issues there except to tie in their house. And also it stimulates the local economy and
Ask the question, please.
Will the Minister consider this contract services for the future? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would have to bring this back to my department to look at further analysis as well too. And I'm not too much of a huge fan for contract services, that, you know, we could look at local training and emphasizing and investing into the local community level, but I'm not familiar with the wood pellet system.
And the other thing I just wanted to emphasize on is the biomass investment, that the Housing Corporation does have currently a federal application to support these projects going forward. But I can follow up with the Member for further information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Final short supplementary, Member for Deh Cho.
Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. I note the time was 18 minutes and we only got we're done with all the other speakers.
But I noted the Minister mentioned there was a project here in Yellowknife that they were completing, and she also mentioned previously that Aklavik has a system that the corporation is utilizing from a local contractor or a local organization that's heating one of their buildings. I'm just wondering if the Minister could share information in terms of savings through the corporation since that incorporation of that arrangement. Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have those energy savings numbers at my fingertips right now, and looking at those comparisons I can provide those numbers to the Member as well. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
