GN touts energy policy

Lorne Kusugak, Nunavut’s minister of energy, touted the territory’s results on an energy efficiency survey on Aug. 23, just as Qulliq Energy Corporation asked people in Iqaluit to be more efficient in their use of electricity because two of its five power generators are out of order.

Energy efficiency got personal as the QEC suggested Iqalummiut eat cold breakfasts and lunches, use their barbecues instead of ovens and turn off all lights and unplug all electronics when they’re not in use.

The idea of these measures is to avoid rolling power outages across the city.

In Iqaluit, the demand for power peaks at around 12:15 p.m. on weekdays, when most people are at home preparing lunch, QEC notes. One of five diesel generators is awaiting parts following “an unexpected failure,” and the other is in the middle of scheduled maintenance, QEC said.

This leaves just three generators to carry the heavy daily demand for power in Iqaluit — a situation that could last the rest of this week, QEC said.

Meanwhile, the Government of Nunavut put out a news release on its improvement on the most recent national report card on energy efficiency, which evaluates the federal, provincial, and territorial governments on their energy efficiency performance every two years.

This year, Nunavut a “B” — which the GN calls “a significant step up from a C which was received in 2007.

As examples of the GN’s moves to save energy, Kusugak plugged its program that uses energy savings from renovations to pay back renovation costs and its residual heating projects which use residual heat from power plants to heat local buildings.

Kusugak also mentioned the GN’s decision to build all new government buildings to energy-efficiency standards which are 25 per cent higher than required and its program for homeowners that gives up to $2,000 in non-repayable assistance to homeowners for
energy efficiency projects.

The GN is also considering a “green” procurement policy so it buys only appliances that meet “the highest standards of energy efficiency.”

And a study of the potential and feasibility of energy options in Nunavut, including geothermal, wind, solar, water and energy from waste, is in the works.

“Although we still have a ways to go, I am encouraged by the results we are seeing. Energy efficiency in Nunavut will remain a priority on a policy, programming, and public awareness level,” Kusugak said.