Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So these questions are for the Minister of Infrastructure. In contrast to the perception that there are no alternatives in the Northwest Territories to heating oil or heating with fossil fuels, can you give us some highlights or insights on the steps the GNWT has already taken and is taking to help residents or businesses either use less heating fuel or switch to renewable alternatives for heating, including in public housing units? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife North. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is quite a lot that could be potentially said here, and I certainly while I don't want to speak for my colleague too much with respect to housing, I am able to happily say that there is already, as of this last year, the Housing Northwest Territories has its own energy strategy. There's also, of course, a variety of GHG grant programs administered by the GNWT. Arctic Energy Alliance has been a longstanding partner with the GNWT. Almost $3 million goes to them for a variety of programs that include rebate programs for folks to make changes in terms of what they're doing to support energy alternatives in their own lives. $12.9 million has gone through to Arctic Energy Alliance, and this is now where we're looking to the low carbon economy leadership fund. That's a federally a federal fund that we work with that also, then, again is helping to support energy retrofits to examine people's energy uses. A significant amount of money also flow into Housing NWT with respect to public housing. Our own capital asset retrofit program earmarks money to start to get our own buildings that the GNWT is responsible for off of more expensive forms of fuel. You know, and, again, Mr. Speaker, I know you're trying to keep us succinct here but there's actually a tremendous amount that is happening. Again, the core funding to Arctic Energy Alliance. And also quite a lot of work now happening as well with, you know, electric vehicle rebates, the bike the electric vehicle or electric bikes which, I think, people laughed at when we first talked about it here. Well, to my surprise, it's been overexpended if I'm not mistaken. So a lot is happening in this space. A lot more can be happening in this space. And I do think that is that's the direction that the conversation around carbon needs to go and carbon fuels is around what we're going to do to reduce our use and change our habits. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wonder if the Minister could also explain steps that the GNWT's taking to facilitate more district biomass heating systems. So that's for larger buildings often that are close together, systems that link one big heating system and heat multiple large buildings, and that could include partnerships with the city of Yellowknife, the federal government, or industry or business partners.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thrilled again to talk about biomass. This is an opportunity where, you know, communities can come forward. There is there certainly is opportunity, and I would certainly want to extend the opportunity to speak further to communities, whether it's on small scale projects, which there is funding for under the community grants programs, funding under feasibility studies. There may be opportunities through, you know, and I'd certainly like to be able to perhaps resend some information, that I saw go out at the end of the 19th Assembly under the Minister of Finance's office, laying out a variety of different funds available for community governments to maximize. For example, we've got feasibility studies happening in Hay River and Wekweeti. Housing NWT is trying to make good on some of the work that they're starting under the strategy I mentioned before. Yellowknife, as looking, Bellanca building here in Yellowknife, has a biomass fired boiler system core. The Gwich'in Tribal Council. Mr. Speaker, those are just a few that I'm pulling together and I'm new to the portfolio. So it's an area of, I think, tremendous growth. And one last plug for us, the Northwest Territories is actually a leader. We have 45 buildings already being heated on biomass. 32 percent of GNWT's heat as a government is from biomass. So we're well on our way, and this is really the conversation is to how do we push ourselves to be the true leaders for all of Canada. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I know we're running out of time here, so I'll just ask a quick supplementary for now, and this should have a quick answer too. So okay, so for the past year, the GNWT has been doing public consultations around revisiting its 2030 Energy Plan, and I believe that the public engagement portion is complete and a What We Heard document has been yeah, so will the can the government share the What We Heard document with Members, ideally in advance of our priority settings, so we get much clearer insight into how the public and Indigenous governments are wanting us to chart our energy future and address climate change? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it so happens I've been asking to see a draft of this document for some similar reasons. I'm quite keen to have my hands on it. I don't know if we can get it ready in its format officially but in some sort of format where information can be shared with Members in advance of the priority setting, I'll commit to finding some way to get that information into the hands of my colleagues under confidential under confidential proceedings of this House. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Infrastructure. Final last question, supplementary question. Yellowknife North.
That's okay. I feel like I could delve much more but I know we're running out of time. So I just appreciate the Minister's commitment to make that special consideration for the benefit of all of us. Thank you.
