Photo by Vince Fedoroff
FRIGID SCENE – Ice fog wafts off the water this morning at the Whitehorse Rapids Dam. Yukoners have set an all-time power consumption record.
Cold wave spurs record use of electricity
Yukoners broke their all-time record for the amount of electricity consumed at one time Monday evening,
Yukoners broke their all-time record for the amount of electricity consumed at one time Monday evening, as temperatures in Whitehorse dipped to -35 C before the windchill was factored in.
Yukon Energy pumped out 83.69 megawatts shortly before 6 p.m.
That trumped the previous record of 83.43 megawatts notched on Dec. 18, 2013.
About 15 per cent of that energy came from the territory’s backup diesel generators.
Every hour that Yukon Energy produces one megawatt using diesel costs Yukoners between $300 and $350, Janet Patterson, the Crown corporation’s spokeswoman, said today.
“That means just for that one hour over dinner last night, Yukoners paid up to $4,340 for back-up diesel,” she said.
“And diesels have been running for several hours, and are still running this morning.
“During times like this, we ask that you keep your non-essential power usage to a minimum. Why not take a minute right now and turn off all electronics and lights you are not using?” she asked.
Yukon Energy’s consumption charts, accessible online, are not registering the recent diesel generation due to an error with the graphs, Patterson added.
Yukon Energy offers these tips on how to cut down on energy consumption:
• Use a vehicle block heater timer to reduce your energy usage during the evening peak.
• Maybe tonight’s a good night for a candlelit dinner?
• Limit your use of portable heaters. Running a 1,500-watt heater can be expensive!
• Challenge yourself to a shortened shower to cut hot water costs.
• Use the delay feature on your washer/dryer/dishwasher. It can mean less demand on the power system during peak times (breakfast and dinner hours).
• Air-dry your clothes on drying racks. This saves on electricity and humidifies a dry Yukon home.
• Have you switched to LED lights? They use up to 80 per cent less electricity and work great in the cold.
Visit inchargeyukon.ca for details about this year’s rebate program.
See story on cold snap.
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Comments (26)
Up 1 Down 0
Sally Wright on Jan 14, 2015 at 10:46 am
Groucho, I couldn't get your link to work, but I just wanted to assure you that great progress has been made in the wind industry in providing cold weather and rime icing modifications to commercial scale turbines. Finland has been running these systems for years. Yes, they are more expensive and the payback is longer but they work and rime icing is no longer considered a barrier to development. The two turbines on Haeckel Hill were essentially a research project and I repeat, they are not turning because they are not maintained, not because of lack of wind.
This leads me to North of 60, calling science silly is funny. Answer the question sir, do you feel colder on a windy day or a calm day? This is just basic physics, and that is why we have a wind chill factor.
If we could make electricity from that wind, and use it to heat our homes wouldn't you think that has a certain poetic beauty? And solar, yes, our cold dark days, but do you know when Hydro is most challenged, when we are literally running on empty reservoirs? March and April, before the melt. March and April just happen to be the months with the greatest solar gain of the year.
That is the thing about renewable energy, no form is there all the time, 24/7, that is why you need energy storage and a diverse selection of renewables.
Oil is a form of energy storage, million year old carbon, but it is too dangerous to burn anymore because of climate change.
Nuclear is very dangerous and Fukishima is ominous illustration of this.
Up 0 Down 1
just my thoughts. on Jan 12, 2015 at 7:17 pm
Maybe we should be approaching housing completely differently. We live in the north, and we build the same way they do in very temperate climates. Our code books are all about stick frame construction. Sure we add more insulation to the roofs and walls and our windows are double, triple, quadruple but I'm talking about adopting some really heat conserving ideas that are kicking around out there such as building mostly underground or into south facing hills. No windows on the north side, and windows that allow heat in on the south side. Maybe straw bale construction. I know the coziest part of our house is the basement. It is 5 feet below the surface, 3 feet above, and has windows on the south and west walls only, not on purpose but that's how it ended up. Got me thinking.
Up 1 Down 0
Groucho d'North on Jan 12, 2015 at 5:31 pm
To expand a bit on N Of 60's comment:
While connecting the Yukon to the continental electrical grid seems like a solution to our woes, it would in fact add a number of new risks to plan for which YEC would have little control to correct. Cascading electrical failures have occurred and if Yukon is connected to the grid we would share in that problem as well. Today the Yukon is an island of self-sustaining energy where local resources are responsible to generate and distribute the energy and correct any problems related to its operation. Joining the continental plant and maintaining our island with self generation capabilities is a smart option, so that if and when the network does crash we could crank-up our generation system until repairs are made to rejoin the continental plant. The problem is: the cost to maintain that amount of redundancy is prohibitive with what’s on the ground today.
Problems experienced while connected to the national grid will not be local situations that our two energy companies could fix- we would be depending on the technical staff from wherever the problem originated and how long it will take to make repairs...which may be a long time.
For example using current events for a scenario. If the terrorists decided to blow up Hoover Dam in Arizona, the lower 48 grid would be impacted, and if connected to it there’s a good chance Yukon’s grid would feel it too and we would be powerless to correct it. Another example, this time with Nature as the villain: A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) from the sun can also shut down electrical networks like Quebec endured in March of 1989, that outage lasted nine hours and in some places fourteen hours. Millions of people were affected and some serious lessons were learned from that event.
The January 29, 2006, power outage affected the entire Yukon and left parts of the territory without electricity for up to 13 hours. The ambient temperature in Whitehorse at that time averaged -28C, and demonstrated the scope of impact a sustained loss of electrical energy could have on Whitehorse and the communities that are dependent on commercial services. That problem was caused by a couple of small components that gave up.
There is plenty of risk already in place for the Yukon’s distribution grid, and mean time to repair means something a bit extra at -40 temperatures. Nuke really is the best option over the long term.
Up 7 Down 2
north_of_60 on Jan 12, 2015 at 3:31 pm
More hydro and connections with Atlin and Skagway.
However it is NOT to our advantage to tie with the North American grid through BC.
Up 9 Down 6
More hydro on Jan 12, 2015 at 10:50 am
More hydro and connection with BC.
Up 10 Down 2
north_of_60 on Jan 11, 2015 at 4:30 pm
@SallyW "Wind energy as showing great potential during our coldest months.
Think about it, when do you feel the coldest? When it is windy. "
That's not science, that's just silly.
Did you happen to notice when it was thirty below zero, just how dark and calm it was at breakfast and dinner when the generators had to run? Did you notice that whenever the diesel generators are running, the wind turbines are as still as the flag by the SS Klondike?
Wind and solar are never available when we need them on cold dark winter days. Anytime we have wind and solar power available, we already have more than enough hydroelectricity on the grid.
Up 14 Down 1
Groucho d'North on Jan 11, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Sally Wright,
I invite you to do some research on rime ice and its negative impact on the operations of windmills. I'll help with a link: http://www.ecs.umass.edu/mie/labs/rerl/research/Cold_Weather_White_Paper.pdf
Have a read and get back to us.
Up 14 Down 8
Sally Wright on Jan 10, 2015 at 2:24 pm
Lighting is a small fraction of our electrical bills. I run on solar at my cabin and I lose the sun totally for 3 weeks over Christmas (solstice). During that time LED lights are my sanity, and they use a minuscule amount of power, a heartening remedy for the winter blues.
Any form of electrical heating is always the greatest portion of our electrical usage; your hot water, clothes dryer and electric baseboard. When it is cold we have our greatest need due to heating. Unfortunately, our primary electrical generating utility Yukon Energy has only hydro to choose from for base load. Hydro is limited during the coldest times of the year because water freezes.
YEC needs to develop another renewable energy source that is more abundant when it is cold. There are numerous studies and reports that have pointed to Wind energy as showing great potential during our coldest months.
Think about it, when do you feel the coldest? When it is windy. That is why there is a wind chill factor.
The science shows that even when it is calm and cold in the Whitehorse valley, the mountain tops are consistently windswept. The wind turbines on Haeckel Hill are not turning right now because they are not maintained.
Now that YEC has woken up to that fact, they are doing the work that needs to be done to study the wind potential on Mount Sumanik, which is higher than Haeckel, but still near enough to the greatest electrical heat load, Whitehorse.
The other huge challenge for all electrical utilities that want to maximize their use of renewable and avoid Green House Gas emissions is energy storage. There are whole departments of Universities working on the challenge of energy storage right now, and I am certain the breakthroughs will come soon.
The other part of the puzzle is our utilities role in developing a more robust and responsive smart grid that would integrate the supply, the load and the storage, so we have an energy basket to work with.
Educating the consumer is paramount, and that is what is important about these comments. People are more aware than ever about the consequences of their energy choices.
Up 18 Down 2
north_of_60 on Jan 9, 2015 at 10:25 pm
@Capt O: "My home furnace burns heating oil (essentially diesel), and in a very inefficient manner compared to what a large generation plant does."
Actually not true.
Most oil furnaces and boilers get at least 80% to 85% of the energy out of the oil, and have since the 1980s. Modern gas LNG/LPG furnaces and boilers can get 95% of the energy out of the fuel.
Engine driven generators using diesel fuel or LNG might get as much as 25% to 30% of the energy in the fuel converted to electricity, line losses could reduce that by another 5%. Most of the generator fuel energy [75% to 80%] is wasted heating the great Yukon outdoors.
Using electric heat generated by burning fuel is very inefficient as compared to burning the fuel directly in a modern furnace or boiler.
Up 20 Down 2
Cam Kos on Jan 9, 2015 at 4:11 pm
Seems the spin doctors and many people are missing the biggest point of all. If we all saved 5% for example in power last year, and the city GREW 10% (all the houses and street lights in Whistle Bend are NEW)....... OF COURSE we are going to use MORE power, but we are DECREASING USE! It's the net per person we should look at, and it seems to me if the statistics of growth aren't lying, we are actually using LESS power each! Congratulations, we are decreasing our usage!
Up 8 Down 14
Just a thought on Jan 9, 2015 at 3:45 pm
Turn the Christmas lights off City of Whitehorse, might help a little!
Up 7 Down 4
Captain Obvious on Jan 9, 2015 at 3:05 pm
New homes are NOT being put in with electric baseboards... they're being stocked with ultra-efficient forced air electric furnaces. Yes, that means more demand from the grid, but that's WAY better for the environment than peoples' oil furnaces.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. But ultimately, if we are able to get the hydro capacity up, efficient forced-air furnaces more prevalent that's a good thing. At least 95+% of the energy used by those furnaces is coming from a renewable source.
My home furnace burns heating oil (essentially diesel), and in a very inefficient manner compared to what a large generation plant does. I'd like to see stats on how much heating oil we burn in the north, and would applaud more load on the electric grid if it brought that consumption down.
Up 10 Down 1
Groucho d'North on Jan 8, 2015 at 5:31 pm
As noted below, demand will not decrease sufficiently until this blatant waste of energy stops. Look around at night and spot the places that have lights on and nothing going on, closed as it were. I have a friend with a great big yard light outside his house (its owned by YECL not him) this light is switched by a daylight detector – when its dark the light is on and cannot be shut off. When he asked YECL for a manual switch so he can turn it off, he was told no, the light must remain on with no practical purpose other than to shine in his house and light the end of his driveway. Also consider all the hidden apparatus that churns away 24/7 365. Like the refrigeration cabinets and freezers in the super markets and hotels. All the other apparatus that keeps the water flowing, the traffic lights and controls. The City advertises when to turn on and off frost devices in the papers each year - so that is a beginning.
I suggest these utility companies spend some bucks and find ways to put these common appliances on a on-off duty cycle to reduce consumption, and make low-cost funding available so shop owners can apply these solutions to their equipment. Cost-share the program at least, I'm sure shop keepers would like to save some money too.
Millions get pissed away on feel-good alternate energy experiments, but to apply a proven reduced consumption solution to the business sector that could make a significant dent in the demand side, somehow there are no policies to support that.
Government, the corporations and their boards need to demonstrate they are sincere about reducing waste and invest in programs to reduce consumption at least to a fraction of the cost of chasing the new hydro project.
Up 22 Down 13
north_of_60 on Jan 8, 2015 at 4:03 pm
If you heat with electricity it doesn't matter how many electric gadgets or lights you turn on inside, it's all electric heat. The more electric items you turn on, then the less the baseboard heaters turn on.
Up 27 Down 1
fed up Yukoner on Jan 8, 2015 at 1:19 pm
I'm not quite understanding what is going on here, did we use this much diesel power when Keno was running and Minto was going full bore, don't recall hearing too much about running out then other than the peak in 2013. Personally I will use as much power as I feel like paying for, this nonsense about hanging up washing and eating by candlelight is a crock. We are in a building now that totally depends on electricity even if you don't heat with it, and everybody has a gazillion gadgets to charge etc. We saw Yukon Energy-Atco whatever we call it these days borrow $100 million to add a paltry few megawatts at Mayo, and now we will be spending a whole bunch more for these LNG plants that cost a fortune to maintain, if we need to save on power show me that you can provide power in a sensible fashion, haven't seen that so far, it's cold so I think I'll go turn up my electric heater, the only green heat I have besides a wood stove to augment the bad fossil fuel in this weather. Still don't think we are getting the big picture on supply and demand, no surprise to me there.
Up 31 Down 5
Smurf on Jan 8, 2015 at 12:13 pm
We waste a lot of electricity in this town!
Why have the lights stayed on in many buildings all night (Tim Hortons near Main Street, Government offices, bank branches - only a few examples)?
Don't they have light switches in the buildings???
Why don't they turn every 2nd street light off between 10 pm and 6 am?
How about finally replacing the street lights with LED lights? They want us to do it - why not them? Think about it, Yukon Energy/ATCO...
Any other ideas out there?
Up 11 Down 2
Josey Wales on Jan 8, 2015 at 8:57 am
Hey Bobby...that last post was a great one, best I've read in awhile!
CoW is like the hippycrytes we are over represented with, they talk a smooth talk...but when the meddle hits the meat?
They are the worst violators of saving energy.
Take ones car that runs on love, peace, and good intentions and go for a drive around town at night...mega lights still on....often many windows are open.
Up 23 Down 0
Charles on Jan 8, 2015 at 1:34 am
What a load! Many new homes with electric heat and many electronic toys; of course demand will increase, but that also means more folk to pay for power when it becomes available. We have had it light this year but what is going to happen when mercury sinks to below -40C? I heat my house with wood at a huge personal cost to replace my wood stove with a more energy efficient model, but now they want me to eat by candlelight? Not to even mention COW & YTG waste, but does YE suggest that homeowners turn off outdoor Christmas lights that are still flourishing? Smarten up people, with new homes we need more power, build it and they will use it.
Up 20 Down 1
north_of_60 on Jan 7, 2015 at 4:59 pm
We could all do a lot more to reduce demand when we need to use fossil fuel generators. I agree with the previous comments that wasteful unnecessary lighting could easily be turned off when the temperature drops to 25 below or colder. That's when we need the fuel fired back-up running.
It's too bad the CoW doesn't have a real sustainability department that would implement conservation policies like that. Instead maybe they'll get some consultant from outside to 'study' it. Almost always the 'studies' cost more than actually doing the conservation measure. Silly greenwashed amateurs !!!
Up 114 Down 1
Bobby Bitman on Jan 7, 2015 at 4:16 pm
People are switching to electric heat at least in part because the insurance companies and governments seem to get together by the water cooler on a regular basis to completely change the rules for oil burning furnaces and oil tanks. They have to be underground, then indoor, then outdoor, then mounted on a chunk of concrete worthy of ballast on the Queen Mary, then double walled, then triple walled; and on and on it goes. I had the experience of having my brand new outside above ground oil tank being 'not to code', between getting the permit and the final inspection. They said don't worry, because you got the permit before the rules changed. But the insurance companies do not see it that way.
Anyhow, it's no big secret that the consumer is scrambling to find the safest, most economical (including install, maintanance and changing rules), way to heat their home along with the least headaches and frustrations!
And ya, COW? Turn the dang lights out! You've got the entire city strung with street lights from the Cutoff to the Mayo Road from 5 p.m. to 10 a.m. Smarten up.
Up 28 Down 9
Jonathan on Jan 7, 2015 at 2:46 pm
I strongly support aggressive energy conservation measures. Let's all do what we can, today, and every day! Currently the Whitehorse Damn cannot run at a higher generating capacity because there is simply not enough water coming down the river. As the video below shows, we had to spill water in the fall because our water license doesn't allow us to store it and use it when we need it (like right now for example). Call your MP today and ask them if they support sustainable green energy projects like the Marsh Lake Storage Enhancement Project. We have a long way to go, but at least this is a start. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7VaFR7S1vk&feature=youtu.be
Up 55 Down 6
north_of_60 on Jan 7, 2015 at 12:51 pm
Hey Greenies, did you happen to notice when it was thirty below zero, just how dark and calm it was at breakfast and dinner when the generators had to run? Did you notice that whenever the diesel generators are running, the wind turbines are as still as the flag by the SS Klondike?
Wind and solar are never available when we need them on cold dark winter days. Anytime we have wind and solar power available, we already have more than enough hydroelectricity on the grid.
Remember that the next time you pull some obstructionist stunt like delaying the LNG back-up generators. They weren't available this winter thanks to you. We had to burn more expensive dirtier diesel instead. Happy now?
So, whenever it gets to thirty below or colder, you Greenies be sure to go turn off all your electricity during breakfast and dinner so you don't have to use any of that evil fossil fuel.
Hydroelectricity and Thorium Nuclear are the only viable alternatives to fossil fuel electricity in the North.
Up 36 Down 1
Phil Johnson on Jan 7, 2015 at 7:24 am
Some things never change. When I worked for the Power Commission from 1959 to 1989 January brought on the peak demands. We used pretty much the same messaging then as now - cut down, turn off, wait till later etc. Some people even set up a rat line - telling about wasteful neighbours. A risky approach in isolated communities.
Up 32 Down 3
francias pillman on Jan 6, 2015 at 10:16 pm
This is a non story. With the population boom what is supposed to happen? Power use goes down? Yukon Electrics theme song should be carnival music.
Up 38 Down 2
Tom on Jan 6, 2015 at 6:21 pm
I read again and again about the costs of the Diesel generators. And now I read we should turn off the lights and what not.
Nobody knows what's going on behind my doors. So why does it get addressed to me first?
May I suggest before the customers have to save energy that the hundreds of light strings on the City- and Government buildings, parks and streets could be turned off. That's nice to have but definitely not a must have in times of power shortage. But instead let us all have a candle light dinner: If you need light eat in front of the Parks Maintenance Office in Quartz Road, where are so many lights on in the dead end road that dozens of families could sit outside in the cold for dinner (9043 Quartz Road). Or the lights in the trees on Keish Street (if one doesn't know where that is why do we need it then?).
Seriously, I agree that it is a good thing to start the discussion how everybody (including me!) could save energy. If it would avoid to build another dam even better.
But I wish that somebody not only tells me what I should change in my home but the obvious (public) waste of energy is part of the discussion too.
Up 41 Down 0
BnR on Jan 6, 2015 at 6:16 pm
How many new homes have been built in the last, say 10 years, that utilize electrics heat? Lots. It's the new norm of building energy efficient homes with high R values and then putting in electric baseboard. It all adds up.