The Aishihik turbine was critically damaged in October, and repair work is not expected to be completed until spring.
The Yukon is facing a heightened risk of blackouts this winter due to a broken turbine at the Aishihik hydro dam, which has reduced the territory's hydro power generation capacity.
According to Minister of Energy John Streicker, the territory's energy supply is precarious, and the risk of blackouts is real. "It really depends on just how cold it gets," Streicker said. "And the other thing that it depends on [is] if we have one of our major facilities go down like a hydro line or something, then we will be in trouble and we will get blackouts."
The Aishihik turbine was critically damaged in October, and repair work is not expected to be completed until spring. To make matters worse, low water levels on Aishihik Lake are further reducing the utility's ability to generate power.
In response to the energy shortage, the Yukon government and Yukon Energy are taking steps to control energy demand. They have launched a program to reduce energy use at peak times, and major industrial users, such as mining companies, have been asked to self-generate power during periods of high demand.
Yukon Energy is also burning more diesel and liquefied natural gas to supplement its reduced hydro power generation. However, this has led to increased emissions and noise complaints from residents living near the diesel generators in Whitehorse.
Streicker acknowledged the concerns and said that Yukon Energy will begin installing soundproofing next year. In the meantime, the utility is exploring alternative locations for some of the generators.
As the territory navigates this energy crisis, residents are being urged to conserve energy and reduce their power consumption during peak hours.
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