Scores turned out for Monday night’s meeting to discuss the territory’s energy future and the proposal to build a new generating station powered by fossil fuel.

Those gathered at the Whitehorse Public Library ranged in age from elementary school students to seniors, and everything in between.

There were climate change activists, and representatives of the government and its Yukon Energy Corporation. There were those involved on the ground floor of the renewable energy industry.

For nearly two hours, the audience listened to presentations on different options available to make the Yukon’s electrical grid greener.

While Energy, Mines and Resources Minister Ranj Pillai spoke of an array of significant renewable energy projects that are in the pipe, he defended the new generating plant as necessary to provide reliability in an environment of growing demand.

But the only moments of applause during the evening came with suggestions that it’s long past time to ditch fossil fuels in exchange for a future without climate strife.

As they’ve been doing of late, young students reminded the audience that without decisive measures, it will be them who are left to face the dire consequences of a warming planet caused by continuing greenhouse gas emissions.

“You will die from old age, we will die from climate change.”

The meeting convened not more than half an hour after a motion was introduced down the street at city hall by Coun. Steve Roddick calling on Whitehorse to declare a climate change emergency.

Yukoners Concerned organized the evening at the library to raise resistance to Yukon Energy’s proposal for a new 20-megawatt plant powered by burning natural gas or diesel fuel, or a combination of the two.

The Crown corporation is seeking public input on whether it should buy or rent the generating units, and where the plant should be located.

Depending on the direction Yukon Energy takes, a new generating station is estimated at between $40 million and $70 million.

Don Roberts of Yukoners Concerned told the audience if Yukon Energy goes ahead with such a large investment, the territory would be committed to fossil fuels for another 40 years or more.

The Yukon needs thermal generation for back-up, but not to provide base load energy, he said.

Roberts said climate change is a reality in the Yukon and around the world. The territory, he insisted, needs to do its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Roberts said an investment in the order of $40 million to $70 million in thermal generation will leave no money for pursuing substantial investment in renewable energy projects.

“It’s all wrong because it is all fossil fuels, because it’s not the route we should be going down,” he told the audience.

The Energy minister said the government is working closely with several First Nations to advance renewable projects.

They’re working with the Kwanlin Dun First Nation to develop four megawatts of wind generation on Haeckel Hill to sell power back to the grid through the Independent Power Production Policy.

The Kluane First Nation is in the advanced stages of its wind project, and Old Crow is moving forward with its large array of solar panels to reduce emissions, he pointed out.

Pillai said the Carcross-Tagish First Nation is pursuing 10 megawatts of wind generation on Montana Mountain.

Altogether, he said, there are between 15 and 20 megawatts of new renewable energy generation on the books.

The study into the feasibility of tying the Yukon’s grid into Atlin’s hydro generating system is almost done, he told the audience.

The minister, however, maintains the reality is that the new thermal plant is needed to provide Yukoners with a reliable and stable electrical grid as demand for energy increases.

Generation by fossil fuels, he said, accounts for three per cent of the territory’s greenhouse gas emissions while transportation is by far the greatest contributor at around 60 per cent, followed by home heating fuel.

Pillai also committed to keep the conversation going by attending more public meetings, because it is community feedback that is most important.

Climate activist Sally Wright told the audience when she was chair of the board of directors for the Energy Solutions Centre from 2000 to 2003, the need to address climate change through a reduction in emissions was already identified as a priority.

It’s 20 years later, and there’s been virtually nothing to expand the territory’s ability to generate with renewable options, she pointed out.

NDP Leader Kate White told the audience there’s been plenty of talk in her years as an opposition MLA, but no walk.

Her party would walk the talk, she promised.

The audience also heard from local wind expert J.P. Pinard, Peter Kirby of Atlin’s Taku River Tlingit First Nation, Myles Thorp of Biomass Yukon and Steven Qui of Whitehorse’s Solvest solar business.

All of the renewable energy proponents presented options to move away from fossil fuels, options they insisted are real, viable and very much attainable.

The representative of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation told the audience how the run-of-the-river hydro project developed by the First Nation just celebrated its 10-year anniversary of taking the community of Atlin off diesel generation.

Every new home built by the First Nation is heated with electricity, and now they’re converting the older housing stock from heating fuel to electricity, he said.

Kirby emphasized the hydro project has not only resulted in a substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but it has provided significant economic returns, and it has empowered the First Nation and the community.

The feasibility study into expanding the hydro system to generate enough power to sell to the Yukon is almost complete, but so far it’s looking positive, he told the audience.