The Renewable Energy Panel is going on tour and hosting public meetings in four Yukon communities this week. The panel composed of 4 experts on renewable energy in the Yukon will be hosting consultation and conversations in Whitehorse, Dawson, Watson Lake and Haines Junction starting tonight at 7 and continuing each day until Thursday.
The panel is funded by the Yukon government, but is an independent group. The three main goals of the group are to share views with Yukoners on renewable electricity, will listen to the concerns of Yukoners, and to provide recommendations to the Yukon Minister of Energy. The timing of this event is significant, as the draft Climate Change, Energy and Green Economy Strategy has just been released for public engagement, and the Renewable Energy Plan is slated to be released in the coming months. The goal is to combine the strong technical knowledge and experience of the panel with local knowledge and input from community members. According to clean energy advisor to aboriginal communities and panel member Chris Henderson the goal is to balance the energy needs of communities while considering reliability, renewability.
Both the timing and location of this project are unique. Thanks to increased technological advances as well as the autonomy of many first nations governments in the Yukon energy is on a trend to become more decentralized in Yukon communities. Additionally, the Yukon is a unique location when it comes to its energy use. Yukon territory currently has some of the lowest per capita greenhouse gas emissions associated with residential electricity consumption, 9th out of the 13 provinces and territories approximately 0.200 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per capita compared with the national average of 0.716 tonnes CO2 equivalent per capita. According to Henderson, Yukoners also have the most rooftop solar panels on homes per capita in the country- so there is obviously interest in reducing emissions.
Yukon residents can attend the panel sessions at the following location. Yukoners interested in engaging who are not able to attend in the four communities offered can field there comments and questions to the panel via email at yukonelectricitypanel@gmail.com.
November 18 at 7 pm at the Westmark Hotel in Whitehorse
November 19 at 7 pm at the Downtown Hotel in Dawson City
November 20 at 7 pm at the Northern Lights Centre in Watson Lake
November 21 at 7 pm at the Convention Centre in Haines Junction
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