Yukon Energy has received a new 20-year water use license, authorizing continued operation and generation of hydroelectricity at the Whitehorse Rapids Generating Station (WRGS) through to 2045.
The WRGS, more commonly known as the Whitehorse dam, is the Yukon’s main source of summer electricity and a significant source of winter electricity, Yukon Energy said. Power generated at Yukon Energy’s hydro facilities in Whitehorse, Aishihik, and Mayo is the primary supply of renewable electricity in the Yukon, allowing more than 90% of Yukon Energy’s electricity generation to be renewable on average over the past 25 years.
The new license terms for the Whitehorse dam focus on:
- Monitoring and mitigating effects of the facility on salmon and fish, wildlife and wetlands, erosion and sedimentation, and culture and heritage;
- Maintaining ongoing structural integrity and safety of the WRGS and Lewes Control Structure;
- Working with First Nation governments and community groups in the project area; and
- Regulatory check-ins with the Yukon Water Board every five years.
Yukon Energy argues that these changes reflect “years of meaningful dialogue” with Carcross/Tagish First Nation, Kwanlin Dün First Nation, and Ta’an Kwäch’än Council throughout the assessment and relicensing processes.
“This new 20-year license provides certainty that Yukoners will continue to benefit from renewable energy in the decades ahead, while we continue to work with First Nation governments and local communities to advance solutions to reduce effects of the facility and improve operations year-over-year,” said Chris Milner, CEO and President of Yukon Energy.
The Whitehorse hydro plant has been in service since 1958, developed to supply electricity to a growing Yukon population. It began with two turbines; a third one was added in 1969, and a fourth in 1985. In the summertime, the Whitehorse hydro facilities can produce 40 MW of power. In the winter, when flow in the Yukon River is reduced, it can only produce about 25 MW.