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TuesdayNovember1120147POLITICSENERGYWanttoapplyforNWTStudentFinancialAssistanceThedeadlineforapplicationsisJuly15th.Lateapplicationsareacceptedbutpaymentisnotguaranteedforthestartdateoffallclasses.www.nwtsfa.gov.nt.caStudentFinancialAssistancewww.facebook.comnwtsfaLikeusonFacebookforupdatesreminderstipsandmorewww.facebook.comnwtsfaAttentionPostsecondaryStudentsWanttoapplyforNWTStudentFinancialAssistanceTheapplicationdeadlineforprogramsstartinginJanuary2015isNovember15th.Lateapplicationsareacceptedbutpaymentisnotguaranteedforthestartofwinterclasses.www.nwtsfa.gov.nt.caOnNovember11thrememberourfallenandwoundedheroesfromaroundtheworld.867669-2244daryl_dolynnygov.nt.caMLARANGELAKEDaryLDolynnyRANGELAKE.comByDALICARMICHAELAfteratumultuoussummerfortheNWTspowercorpo-rationresidentsfromacrosstheterritorywerereadyandeagerforlastweeksenergycharrettewhereover120concernedcitizensgatheredtohavetheirmountingcon-cernsaddressedbyindustryofcialsandgovernmentrep-resentativesalike.Deviatingfromdiscussionsatthe2012charetteama-jorityofsessionsnarrowedinonindustryleadersandgovernmentsmovingawayfromlarge-scaleprojectstowardsmaller-scalesolu-tionsdesignedtosupportinitiativescreatedbasedonthestrengthsoftheregions.Theoverallactivitywastolookatwhatwasdevelopedtwoyearsagodoavalidationtoseeifthisisstillapplicabledetermineiftheprioritiesarestillthesameornotandthenseewhatrecommenda-tionsaroseoutofthatsaidGordonVanTighemchairoftheNWTPublicUtilitiesBoardPUB.Theoverarch-ingdiscussionseemedtoaimatdonttryanddothebigthingsidentifythesigni-cantprioritiesonaregionalbasisprovidearankingtothemandthengettoworkdosomeofthem.ThisyearalonetheGNWTprovidedabout200millionincost-of-livingsubsidiesatleast20millionofwhichisnowgoingtowardsallevi-atingnancialpressureontheNTPowerCorp.whichreceivedanothergovern-mentbailoutafteritsplanstoraisetheratesthiswinterspurredharshbacklashfromcommunities.ResultsfromthecharettearestillbeingpreparedbutforFinanceandEnvironmentandNaturalResourcesMinis-terMichaelMiltenbergerthedirectionofactionisobviousastheGNWTpreparesforthewintersessionwhereitwillestablishthe2014-15budget.Wehaventhadanyde-tailedkindofdebriengyetbutweareclearlyheadeddownthepathofsignicant-Iwouldcalltransformational-changeMiltenbergersaid.Aswemoveawayfromourrelianceondieselweneedtolookatourrate-zonestruc-tureshowtheNTPowerCorp.isstructuredasautil-ityhowmanydistributorswehavewhatdowehavetodotomakealternateenergyuseaseasyaspossiblewithourownpoliciesandregulationswhatkindoflegislationweneedtomakeiteasierforandclearerforuseofbiomasssolarwindsothatwhentheresinstalla-tionissuesallthosethingsaredealtwith.Miltenbergersaiditisimportanttonotethatitwouldntbepossibletodropdieselasanenergysourceimmediatelybutthatmanyofthecharettesdiscussionscenteredonhowtolessenre-lianceonfuelovertime.OneofthetopprioritiesidentiedbyMiltenbergerre-centlyhasbeenestablishingwindturbinesintheBeaufortregion.Theareaisknownforitsstrongwindsandtheideaofusingwindenergytherehasbeenoatedforyears.Nowthegovernmentis-nallymovingforwardexpertshavebeenconsultedandtheGNWTislookingtobuildtur-binesatStormHillsalongtheproposedhighwaybetweenTuktoyaktukandInuvikthelatterofwhichisthehighestsingleconsumerofdieselintheterritory.Theenergyproducedbytheseturbineswouldbeusedinbothcom-munitiesandwouldideallyeliminateatleasthalfofIn-uviksdieselconsumption.IfwecanhavethatkindofinuenceontheirpriceandcostthenitwouldbesavingsforeverybodyintheNWTMiltenbergersaid.AswelookatsortingoutourborrowinglimitweknowhowmuchwearegoingtobeabletoinvestlookingataplacelikeInuvikasonewayyoucangetmaxi-mumsavings.Basedonaformulaof3millionpermegawattpro-ducedhesaidtheinitialg-urefortheturbineswouldbeabout40to50million-whathedeemsaworthyinvestment.HouseholdscantakeimmediateactionMPDennisBevingtonwhohostedapanelatthecharettenotedthatmanyofthediscus-sionscenteredaroundimme-diateactionsindividualscantaketocuttheirenergyusageandinturntheircosts.EnergyefciencycanbedonereallyquicklyBeving-tonsaid.ThePowerCorp.wantstosee20percentoftheiraveragedemandindie-selcommunitiesprovidedbysolar.Thatcanbedoneinthenextyearitdoesnttakealongtimetodo.Sothethingsthatcanbedonenowaretheonestotakeagoodlookatdoing.Thesolarcangoaheadrightawayconversionstowoodheatingbiomasswoodchipsorwoodpelletscangoaheadrightawayandshould.Someoftheinvestmentmoneyhastogointothoseareasandthosearethethingsthatcanhappenrightnow.Asmorepeopleturntoadaptingthesealternativeen-ergiestheGNWThascom-mittedtocreatingpoliciesthatmaketheconversionpro-cesseseasierwhilethePUBwillevolveitsregulatorysys-temstokeepupwiththetimes.OuractioncontinuestobethesoleregulationofthetwolargerutilitiesVanTighemsaid.Weremorenowcom-ingintoconsiderationofpro-gramsthathavethepotentialofsupplementinggenerationlikedistrictheatingprogramsthathavesomeelectricalgen-erationcapabilitiesandde-termininghowtheytintotheoverallschemeofthings.AccordingtoPremierBobMcLeodareportcompilingresultsfromtheenergychar-rettewillbeavailablewithinthemonthatwhichpointitwillbecirculatedamongthegeneralpublicsothosewhowereunabletoattendthemeet-ingwillhaveachancetovoicetheiropinions.ThegovernmentwillthenlookatdevelopingaresponsetotheCharretteReportthatcouldincludechangestothecurrentEnergyPlanearlynextyearMcLeodsaid.WewouldliketoworkwithallmembersoftheLegislativeAssemblyonthisinitiativeandwillbefol-lowingupthroughtheStand-ingCommitteeprocesstofur-therengagemembersinthediscussion.StakeholdersstrategizearoundenergycostsatcharetteWeareclearlyheadeddownthepathofsignicantchangeministerPhotoBillBradenMichaelMiltenbergerministerresponsiblefortheNTPowerCorp.andPremierBobMcLeodbacklistenintent-lytoapresentationonrenewableenergyatthecharrette.