Green grid could increase NWT’s GDP by 50 per cent

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Press Release

Corporate Knights and Former Premier Kakfwi present a proposal for NWT to power up Alberta and beyond with clean hydro tied into pan-Canadian Green Power

Attention News/National/Political/Energy Reporters and Assignment Editors

Yellowknife, May 7, 2007 – Former Northwest Territories Premier Stephen Kakfwi and Corporate Knights President Toby Heaps presented a proposal to the NWT Government outlining opportunities to link hydro electricity into a pan-Canadian Green Power Corridor (transmission grid) that would help green Alberta’s grid system and power up NWT’s economy in an environmentally responsible way that provides equity opportunities for Aboriginal peoples in both power generation and transmission.

Quick Facts:

* According to the AESO 10-Year plan, Alberta is projected to be short 4,000 MW in 2016-2017.
* T he selling price of electricity in Alberta is $80 per MWh, and it is expected to grow.
* The vast majority (99.5%) of the Northwest Territories ’ 11,000 MW of world-class hydro potential is not yet developed.
* Money from the soon-to-be multi-billion dollar Climate Change Fund could almost certainly be used to help finance a green grid connection from NWT to Alberta.
* TransCanada is in the early stages of proposed Slave Lake hydro project that would initially bring 1500 MW on line, which would bring Alberta ’s grid closer to NWT.
* A carbon price of $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent adds an extra $20-$30 cost per MWh for coal-fired power generation.
* Enabling hydro power from the Northwest Territories to be transmitted to Alberta could: make oil sands cleaner; reduce pressure to build new coal generators; and reduce push in oil sands to burn coke—which is a huge GHG emitter.

“The idea of a pan-Canadian Green Power Corridor is a national vision. All of us in the Northwest Territories benefit from the Trans-Canada Highway. We enjoy the air route systems, the transportation systems, and a coast-to-coast-to-coast green grid would be a way for us to buy into a system that would be buying and using our energy sources,” Kakfwi said.

“The coincidence of available climate change funds, Alberta’s coming electricity crunch and the NWT’s world-class hydro power potential offers an amazing opportunity to power up a 21 st green grid and launch responsible prosperity in Canada’s North,” said Heaps.

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