Northwest Territories: Clean electricity snapshot

Overview of electricity in the Northwest Territories.

Governments, researchers, and renewables businesses in the Northwest Territories are working to develop renewable energy generation technologies that can work in northern conditions and reduce reliance on diesel power generation in remote communities.

A clean electricity grid can have several benefits

In addition to cleaner air and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, a clean electricity grid can provide several benefits:

• Independent experts from Clean Energy Canada forecast that there will be 6,800 clean energy jobs added in Northern Canada between 2025 and 2050^{Footnote 1} , providing both economic growth and new job opportunities as the territories move towards a net-zero economy.
• The Wah-ila-toos partnership offers comprehensive access to clean tech funding to remote and northern indigenous communities.
• A 3.5-megawatt (MW) wind turbine from the federally funded Inuvik Wind project will be operational by summer 2023.
• The 1 MW, federally funded solar farm by Nihtat Energy in Inuvik will create 6 construction jobs, 4 part-time jobs, and offer training for local businesses.

Electricity generated

As of 2022, Northwest Territories had 13.2 MW of wind and 2 MW of solar installed on it’s grid

Economic opportunities and key projects

Following the historic investments made in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada has now committed over $40 billion to support the clean electricity sector, including with below-market financing through the Canada Infrastructure Bank, grants and contributions such as the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways Program, and a new Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit. These investments being made alongside the Clean Electricity Regulations will help drive significant economic opportunities in the province through the construction of new power sources and retrofitting of existing plants.

Researchers at Aurora College Research Institute are gathering valuable wind data from around the territory that is helping renewable energy companies like Nihtat Energy choose sites for wind turbines

Keeping electricity affordable

The Government of Canada is supporting households with their energy switching, through home retrofit programs, zero-emission vehicles purchase incentives and more, to help Canadians save on their energy bills.

$40 billion in new Government of Canada measures to meet the growing demand for electricity can minimize future cost impacts being passed down to Northwest Territorians.

The Arctic Energy Alliance provided $1.8 million in energy efficiency incentives to individuals and businesses in 2021.

Recent announcements

In April 2022, $300 million of federal clean energy funding was directed to the Wah-ila-toos partnership for clean energy projects in Indigenous, rural and remote communities in Canada.

In August 2022, the Government of Canada invested $1.6 million in the 1 megawatt Inuvik Solar Project.

Budget 2023 clean electricity measures will support the transition away from diesel, such as the Taltston Hydro Expansion Project.

The Government of Canada has invested over $21.6 million in funding to 14 Indigenous communities to help implement clean energy projects with three communities located in the Territory.