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TuesdayMarch320157INDUSTRYOILGASwww.auroracollege.nt.caCourseQuickBooksLevel1DatesMarch7-8inFortSmithTimes900AMto400PMSaturdayandSundayInstructorRyanPondCroweMackayLLPCost50ThiscourseisdesignedtointroducethebasicfeaturesinalsobecomefamiliarwiththemostcommontasksandknowwhereDepartmentofIndustryTourismandInvestmentareJessicaCoxAuroraCollegePhone867872-7507ByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithlowwaterlevelsandagingdieselin-frastructureplaguingpowergenerationinYellowknifeterritorialofcialsarelookingatthepossibilityofswitchingovertolique-ednaturalgasLNGtobringdowncostsoverthecomingyears.Thecapitaleffectivelybecamethelargestthermalcommunityintheterritoryinthefallafterlastsummersrecord-settingdroughtdrasticallyreducedwaterlevelsontheSnarehydrosystemforcingthecityalmostfulltimeontoitsbackupdieselgenerators.ThereducedhydrocapacitycosttheGNWT20millioninforcedsubsidiestotheNTPowerCorp.inordertostaveoffacrushingrateincreasethatwouldhaveofoadedcostsontoresidents.NowtheGNWTislookingtomakebackitsmoneythroughcostsavingenergyinfra-structurechanges.SolarandbiomassarebothpossibilitiesbeingconsideredtohelpofoadsomeofthepressureonYellowknifesdieselsystembutLNGcouldbethemostpromis-ingbasedontherecentexperiencetransi-tioningInuvikspowerstationfromdieselinJanuary2014.WeknowthatwecanuseLNGcheaperthandieselweknowthatevenupinInuviksaidMichaelMiltenbergerministerrespon-siblefortheNTPowerCorp.MiltenbergersaiddespiteInuvikbeingoneofthemostnortherlyLNGplantsintheworldwithalengthysupplychainoftrucksfromB.C.shippingfueluptheDempsterandacrossiceroadsandfer-riestheprojectisstillsavingmoneywhencomparedtodiesel.WeknowupinInuvikitssavingussome-wherebetween20and25percenthesaidsotheassumptionwouldbethatwouldbetranslateddownhereinYellowknife.ThecostscomparedtoInuvikIwouldsaywouldbeevenlessjustbecauseitsamuchshorterdistancetogettheLNGuptoYellowknife.StilltheGNWTneedstoinvestigatewhetheritsagoodtfurthersouth.Atotalof200000waspledgedinthisyearsbud-gettogaugethefeasibilityofLNGforYellow-knifeandafewotherthermalcommunitiesontheroadsystemincludingFortLiardFortMcPhersonandFortSimpson.ThoughYellowknifeisalotmoreconnectedtothesouthernworldwithitspermanentbridgeMiltenbergersaidithasuniqueinfra-structureneedsthatcouldprovechallenging.TheJackshplantareaiscircumscribedbythelakeanditsrightatthebottomofabighilltheresverylittleroomforexpan-sionhesaid.Toreplacesomeofthedie-selgeneratorsisonething-theyrealreadythere-butifweregoingtoaddcapacitynomatterwhatitis-LNGbiomassyounameit-weregoingtohavetondaplacewherewedhavethespace.Wedhavetogothroughtheappropriateprocesstogetlandanddoalltheenvironmentalstufftocheckthatout.Whilecostsavingsarethemajormotiva-torMiltenbergersaidthegovernmentalsohastoworryaboutgrowingcapacityneedsandaginginfrastructureattheJackshplant.WehaveinYellowknifetwoissueswehaveissuesofgenerationwherewearegoingtoneedtohaveincreasedcapacitybutwealsoknowsomeofourexistingdieselgeneratorsaregoingtobereachingtheendoftheirlivesfairlysoonandImnotinter-estedinreplacingthemwithmoredieselifwecanavoidithesaid.Ifwehavetoup-gradeandreplaceitonlymakessensetolookatallalternatives.ThesmallerecologicalfootprintofLNGcomparedtodieselisalsoaconsiderationMiltenbergersaid.FeasibilityworkasidemovingforwardwithatransitiontoLNGwilltakeasigni-cantamountofcapitaldollarsonlymadepossiblebyanincreasedborrowinglimitfromthefederalgovernmenttheministeremphasized.Thesearethekindsofstrategicinvestmentsweneedtomakeineconomicinfrastructurethatsgoingtolowerthecostofenergycostoflivingthosetypeofthingshesaid.LNGcouldreplacedyingdieselinYellowknifeministerPhotocourtesyofJamesTolleyByMEAGANWOHLBERGEquipmentfailureattheSnareFallshydrostationispilingevenmorecostsontothecityofYellowknifewhichhasbeenrunningoffamixofhydroandexpensivedieselsincethefallwhenwaterlevelshitarecordlow.SnareFallsisoneoffourpowerplantsontheSnarehydrosystemresponsibleforproducingabout4MWofpower.ThatplantwentdownonFeb.14duetoabrokenturbinecausingatotalpoweroutageinYellowknifeandpullingthecityontoadditionaldiesel.NTPowerCorp.NTPCofcialsestimatetheadditionalcoststokeepYellowknifeBe-hchokoandDettahpoweredduringrepairsiscosting40000aday.ButwithcurrentrepairtimeestimatedattwotosixweeksdependingontheavailabilityofpartsandanyextraworkthatmightbeneededoncetheunitistakenapartandinvestigatedYellowknifeCentreMLARobertHawkinsex-pressedworrythatthepricetagcouldbecomeaseriousproblemforthegovernment.Ifweestimatethatthiscouldtakeonedayits40000.Ifweestimateittakessixweeksthatsalmost1.7million.Thisiscer-tainlyanexpensivemeterrunningatthecostoftheNWTtaxpayershesaid.MichaelMiltenbergerministerresponsibleforthePowerCorp.hadfewdetailstogiveastohowlongandcostlytherepairsoperationwouldbebutsaidthe40000perdaytabwouldbepickedupbytheadditional20milliontheterritorialgovernmentborrowedlastfalltocoverthecostofadditionaldieselusageinatimeoflowwaterlevels.Wehadanticipatedthatwewouldbesav-ingsomemoneywiththeloweringpriceofdieselandwewillbeusingthat20milliontooffsettheadditionaldieselcostsastheap-propriaterepairsareaffectedMiltenbergersaidinthelegislaturelastweek.NTPCisaskingresidentsinthethreecom-munitiestoconservepowerbydecreasingtheirconsumptionwhiletheplantisbeingrepairedespeciallyduringlunchandsuppertimeswhenusageishighest.Thecauseofthebustedbearingisstillbeinginvestigated.Snarehydrobreakdowncosting40000adayExtracoststodrawfromlastfalls20MPowerCorp.bailoutINDUSTRYHYDRONWTPremierBobMcLeodcentreandNTPowerCorp.MinisterMichaelMiltenbergerrighttourInuviksLNGfacilityduringitsgrandopeninginJanuary2014.AbustedbearingontheSnarehydrosystemiscosting40000aday.PhotoNTPowerCorp.